


When The Seas Bled Crimson

by TSPofAmbition



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fix-It, Fuuinjutsu, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Morality, No Uchiha Massacre, On a hiatus till exams are done, Post-Third Shinobi War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Fall Of Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, Third Shinobi War, Uchiha Shisui Lives, Uzumaki Clan-centric, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, Worldbuilding, new chapters in march-ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-02-16 01:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 96,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21499471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TSPofAmbition/pseuds/TSPofAmbition
Summary: Uzushiogakure no Sato was destroyed and her citizens brutally cut down. It is widely believed that her sealing legacy had been drowned in the seas that ringed her when the last of the great sealing masters, the Godaime Uzukage had sacrificed himself in the ensuing battle to protect her borders.Nobody knew of the last survivor. The boy known as The Bleeding Angel, one of the few people who held his compassion closer than his kunai. But how much compassion will survive the dangers of holding Uzushio's legacy and more importantly how much fortitude would it take to wield it?
Relationships: Uchiha Kagami & Original Male Character(s), Uchiha Obito & Original Male Character(s), Uchiha Shisui & Original Male Character(s), Uchiha Shisui/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 172
Kudos: 596
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, Long Fics to Binge, Naruto Fanfictions, Not to be misplaced, Self-Inserts and Original Characters, The Best Naruto fanfics





	1. The Solitude that Scorched

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> This is my first story so please be gentle with criticism but don't hold back anything you hate. I'll do my best to upload as often as i can but i happen to be a medical student so that might be a bit hard at times. I don't have a beta either so bear with the unedited uploads, please? Lastly this particular chapter is just to get used to the website and as such is kinda small. I'll try to keep the rest of them to an average length of 3000 to 5000 words. Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Fires burn o'er bleeding soul,  
> To wish you well in new abode,  
> To cleanse you of the pain you felt,  
> And best the cruel hand you're dealt,  
> Because Fires burn as i watch and weep,  
> O'er loved ones now in endless sleep,  
> It burnt the men into my memories,  
> It burned their souls but let me be.

Uzushio had fallen.

Ashura knew that he should be more worried about his injuries, consider looking forward medical aid or maybe even attempt to staunch the bleeding himself but he couldn't bring himself to look beyond the broken arches, the scattered, shattered houses, the bloodstained streets and the bodies. Oh God, the bodies!

As a shinobi in training from the moment he had begun to walk, an unfortunate side effect of the genius moniker he had been bestowed with, he thought that he had seen enough gore to harden his heart, but he had not been prepared to see the looks of pain and sorrow permanently etched on faces he had laughed and lived with, looks that would follow them to the beyond without the funeral rites he knew no one else could perform. The once magnificent village was silent as a grave, even the animals seemed to have fled the battlefield that began to bleed crimson. The flags hung limply off broken poles and there were corpses lying vigil at every corner.

He had been stabbed in the back before the battle began and he could feel the blood slowly oozing past the stitches he must have pulled in his rush to return. He could barely feel the pain over the one in his chest that brought tears to his eyes. His shoulder burned as he felt the weight of his people's eyes on the one who was the last to hold their legacy, the last to survive their culture, the last to hear Uzushio's lament.

He refused to look back at the spread-eagled form of the greatest Uzukage to ever hold the hat, the one who had led the village into a golden age of contentment, knowledge and peace who would most likely be only remembered as the Uzukage who watched her fall. Ashura refused to look back at the man he had known as Leader, as Defender, as Teacher, as Father, as... Dead.

Nevertheless as he roamed the streets, he forced himself to look at the bodies of friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers, remembering the ones he could. He knew he shouldn't torment himself, God knows Tsuna nee-san had bemoaned his self-sacrificing streak a hundred times, but he couldn't help but feel that it was his duty to remember the dead, especially because no one else would.

Because Uzushio had fallen, and he was still alive.

Making no attempt to wipe the tears that left clear tracks across his grimy, bloody face, he painstakingly began to clear a portion of what used to be Miyuki baa-san's weapons store, keeping the aforementioned weapons as far away as he dared, not willing to consider using them but pragmatic enough to know that he would have to eventually and he couldn't afford to arm an enemy. He couldn't help the painful spasm that burned his chest when he found the owner, still holding the naginata she must have fought with. The blood staining her snow white hair had turned it fiery crimson once more. Her expression in death was much the same as it ahd been in life, fierce with an undercurrent of pain. Shinobi, even retired ones carried wounds too deep to clean.

He may have been a shinobi but he had never prescribed to the infantile notion of abandoning all emotions. Where lies the loyalty if you have nothing to care for? Where lies the strength if you have no one to protect? Where lies the reason to fight if you have no reason to return? Nevertheless, as he slowly carved mourning and containment seals into the ground around the cleared area, he couldn't help but wish that he cared less. Surely it wouldn't hurt so much if he didn't.

He began to pile bodies onto the makeshift pyre, pausing only to close their eyes and remove the weapons that were embedded in their corpses, sometimes whispering words of farewell as familiar faces made their way into his arms for the last time.

It was nearing nightfall when he finally managed to move the four hundred and ninety third friend into the pyre and he had began to feel the exhaustion of rhe battle and the pain of his wounds begin to catch up to him. 

He only had the one body left to go, the one he could hardly bear to look at through the tears of grief and guilt that blinded him but he forced himself to lift Uzumaki Amahiko's body to the pyre. With trembling hands he closed the blank eyes that looked emptily at the heavens that had wronged him and forced himself to step away. He placed a kiss on the cold metal of the hitai-ate that bore the familiar spiral before whispering in the steadiest voice he could manage,

"Thank you for your service, Uzumaki Amahiko, Godaime Uzukage. Uzushio and her residents... resident are grateful for your leadership and your ability to uphold her spirit, her guidance and her light. You were a credit to the title you bore and we wish your spirit a voyage free of storms to the next world."

And even quieter, "Goodbye, otou-san. I will protect her legacy for you."

He moved out of the contained area and made the handsigns with trembling fingers before calling out softly into the dawning dark, "Katon- Houou no Jutsu."

He pushed his chakra out, manipulating it into the form of a Phoenix that screeched mournfully as it set the first corpse ablaze. A symbol of rebirth, of fiery passion and endless courage to change but also a symbol of healing and life because where would death be found, if not in life? Ashura himself bowed as deep as he could and said in a voice that was so shaky, it was a miracle the words were understood, "Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice."

The farewell echoed through the silent streets, as Uzushio herself mourned her fallen defenders. The flames towered higher than they had, ever before, stark against the dark black sky and Ashura couldn't help but think that the colour was fitting for the fiery race it entombed that day and the proud nation that now belonged to the annals of history.

His words danced with the spirals of smoke that hung heavy over the battlefield as he sat, tears saying far more than he could and eventually running dry, guilt coursing through his veins as he warned himself on their funeral pyre and mourned the death of his past. He was caked in the blood of the hundreds of dead and could barely move his right shoulder, where the storage seal had been inked. 

He knew he ought to ice it at the very least but he couldn't bring himself to look at the reason he ahd shirked his duty as defender and protector of his village. It seemed heavier, even though he knew it was just his imagination propagating the weight on his shoulder.

Sitting there, choking on the ashes of his friends, he dared not allow himself to indulge in the self pity that he knew he would never deserve.

The fires burnt through the night and he kept silent vigil over the dying flames, unable to close his eyes without opening his mind to the nightmares that bled true into wakefulness.


	2. Sea Green Sacrifices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations!  
> New chapter! Which will probably not happen for a while so don't get used to this. Please comment your likes and dislikes and all that jazz. Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> When sacrifices stand at ease,  
>  To sacrifice it all for me,  
>  I'll sacrifice the time we'll spend,  
>  To the sacrifices that find their end,  
>  For sacrifice is how I lose,  
>  The sacrifice I'd never choose. 

It was as the pinkish streaks of dawn began to creep across the sky, that Ashura heard the light footfalls of another person in the vicinity. His hand was on the naginata before he could think, right hand curling into one handed seals for a jutsu.

"Who is there?" He called, his voice hoarse from the smoke and cloying grief.

A quick check revealed that his chakra was rather low, having used too much to enhance his strength to carry the bodies far bigger than his lithe, ten year old frame. Clearly he would not be able to put up much of a fight against a powerful enemy. Nevertheless, he knew, without a doubt, that he would defend the pyre for as long as he could from whoever was out there.

The creature that seemed to melt out of the tree was one of the strangest he had seen, so much so that he wasn't even sure if it was human. It was entirely black and vaguely humanoid in shape with no mouth and eerie grey eyes. When it spoke, Ashura cringed at the slice in its face that served as a mouth.

"Uzumaki Ashura." It said, voice rough and grating, almost compounded as if several others were speaking over it. "It is truly fitting for you to bear that name."

Ashura's grip tightened over the sword. "What are you?"

"You may call me Zetsu." It said. "Are you aware of who you've been named after, boy?"

He did know as it turned out. It had been one of the first questions he had ever asked his father. The name, Ashura, granted to him by Uzumaki Mito at the time of his birth, after the founder of her adoptive clan and his father had sworn that he would bear the name with the dignity it necessitated. Now though, at the funeral of his people, it just served to remind him of how badly he had failed and the shame Mito sama must be feeling at having granted him such a powerful name.

"Ōtsutsuki Ashura." He replied, tightly. "I am named after the younger son of the Sage of the Six Paths and bearer of his ninshu legacy, the one rumoured to have begun the Senju Clan. What is it to you, creature?"

Zetsu seemed discomfited by the onslaught of titles but just laughed at the last sentence. 

"Ashura you might be named after, but your demeanour is all Indra's." His voice was amused but barely audible to the grieving boy that stood across him. 

Louder, he said, "You are the one known as the Bleeding Angel, are you not? Uzushio's youngest sealing master and rumoured bearer of her sealing legacy?" 

Ashura's shoulder _burned_. The seal inscribed on pale flesh seemed like a brand to the boy as he almost crackled with rage. 

"How have you heard of that?" His sea green eyes darkened stormily and blood-soaked hair swirled in the Killing Intent that filled the broken village. " As I said before, what is it to you, _Zetsu_?" 

Despite his apoplectic rage, the words were quietly spoken, nearly whispered and each seemed to carry its own weight and then some. Zetsu however, did not seem to be faxed by the Killing Intent although he noticed that it did seem slightly wary.

"Peace." It said, raising both arms in surrender, a rather fruitless endeavour, considering the speed with which most shinobi could form hand seals. "I merely wanted to commission a piece."

"Which one?"

"The Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal."

Ashura gasped. "That is-"

"For assistance in rebuilding and populating Uzushiogakure no Sato."

His breath caught in his throat. He had not dared to dream of rebuilding Uzushio for he had known that prodigy he may be, it was far beyond even his capabilities to rebuild the whole village. The few survivors who would dare to return would be too few to comprise a reasonable population and without shinobi, they would not be defended from another attack. But if he had assistance, the ability to make trade treaties and a possible temporary alliance with a minor village until their population swelled, it could be a possibility. Not a certainty, but certainly a possibility. And standing amidst the ruins of his formerly vibrant village and the ashes of his people, he was sorely tempted to agree.

At least until he noticed the self satisfied glint in Zetsu's eye and recalled what it wanted in return. 

The existence of the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal was supposed to be unknown to all but himself. It had been a creation of folly, of arrogance and of insanity. It was one he had created himself in his brash pride in wanting to be better than the legendary sealing masters of Uzushio. 

At eight years of age, he had shown his father the completed seal with all the excitement of a child, not noticing the immediate blanching and horrified expression on his father's face. The man had taken one look at the seal as if to confirm its authenticity before barking out in the the harshest voice Ashura had heard, "Do you have any other copies of the seal?"

When he received naught but a fearful shake of his son's head, he asked after the location of all the work he had done in order to create it. A shocked and more than slightly terrified Ashura could do nothing more than watch as Amahiko had incinerated all the copies as well as the work leading up to it. He might remember the seal, but without the work, he could never submit it as a mastery and he could hardly help the tears that trickled down his ink stained cheeks.

When the Uzukage was finally satisfied that the only source of the seal was in Ashura's mind, he had finally turned to his heartbroken child who stared at him in betrayal. His eyes softened and he tried to draw him onto his lap in the Uzukage's office, activating the privacy seals that prevented even the ANBU from overhearing what was being said.

"What do you know of Jinchuuriki, Ashura?"

Even in his anger, Ashura had not been able to disobey the man who had taught him everything he knew. Doing his best to keep the petulant tone out of his voice he had answered, "Jinchuuriki, meaning human sacrifice, is a person who has a Bijuu sealed with us their bodies. This is done before the chakra coils have settled into the system, as such around adolescence. It was first created by Uzumaki-Senju Mito sama when she used the Four Symbols Seal to seal the nine tailed Kyuubi no Kitsune into her own body. The seal is one that uses the body's own chakra system to concentrate the chakra into the abdominal region from the four corners of the body. The person uses a large amount of chakra to maintain this region, erroneously referred to as a mindscape. As a payout, Jinchuuriki have larger chakra reserves due to the mixing of the Bijuu chakra into their own systems as well as an immunity to poisonous Bijuu chakra, extended lifespan, greater healing rate and reduced fertility."

Amahiko had chuckled as Ashura wrinkled his nose at the last word. "Not the seal, tell me about the Jinchuuriki themselves. What does it mean to be one?"

The question had confused the prodigy and he found himself mumbling, "You have a higher chakra reserve? You don't have to work to increase it?"

The Uzukage had sighed deeply at the incorrect answer. "You said that it meant 'human sacrifice', did you not? Why is that the case?"

"I don't know!" Ashura had replied, annoyance colouring his tone.

"Think, Ashura. You know that Mito sama is one. We were the ones who travelled to Konoha when you were born despite your Mother's weakness and your fragile state. Why was that?"

"She wasn't allowed to come to Uzushio?" Ashura realised with a gasp.

"No she was not." Amahiko answered sadly, leaning back on his chair. "The day Mito sama decided to seal the Bijuu she created something incredibly dangerous. A weapon, yes but also a curse.

A Jinchuuriki is considered less a shinobi and more a weapon. They cannot choose a career outside of being a shinobi. They cannot choose the sector they want to work in either. Missions like infiltration, seduction and espionage are very rarely given to them. They are usually not allowed to leave the village for extended periods of time and their permanent residences have to be in the village. That is why they are called human sacrifices, because they have sacrificed the ability to live the way they want. They sacrifice, to an extent, their humanity, causing them to be weapons to be used by their Kages. 

When the Jinchuuriki seal, the Four Symbols Seal was first used and communicated to Uzushio, we were the ones commissioned to seal the Bijuu into the Jinchuuriki of the other hidden villages and the seal was gifted to them, then. Only sealing masters and the apprentices they choose are aware of the Four Symbols Seal. As such the Bijuu were distributed amongst the villages to-"

"-to even out the power imbalance, I know!" Ashura had interrupted. "What does that have to do with my seal? It allows the Four Symbols Seal to be broken, safely freeing the Jinchuuriki from their sacrifice. If I work on it for a few more months, I will even be able to contain the Bijuu for long enough to transfer Jinchuuriki."

"NO!" Amahiko had thundered. " Do you not understand? The Bijuu were divided to even out a power imbalance! What would happen if it got out that there was a way to steal them? Even if a Jinchuuriki is captured, their death kills the Bijuu for a while as well, ensuring that the capturing village is unable to gain control of an extra Bijuu. The power imbalance would be back again with your seal and this time they would turn on Uzushio and Konoha to protect their Bijuu!"

Ashura had never seen his father so furious before and was equal parts horrified by the words he said and furious at himself. Try as he might, he couldn't keep the tears from his eyes as he slipped from his father's lap and sat in a dogeza at his feet. 

"I did not think of that, Shishou. I apologise for my foolishness." 

He had kept his eyes shadowed, looking steadfastly at the floor, humiliated and terrified that his father would stop his Fuuinjutsu lessons. He was entirely within reason to do so as well. He had possibly put the entire village and their allies in danger and he forced himself to hold back the stinging tears, not wanting to further shame himself further in front of his teacher.

He heard a soft sigh and felt warm pressure on his haphazardly bound hair, carding through the flyaway strands, before lifting his chin. "Don't bow your head before me, Ashura. Yes, you were foolish, but I was also at fault for not explaining this earlier. I confess, I did not think you capable enough of breaking the Jinchuuriki seal or I would have explained better, the dangers of doing so.

As your teacher, I'm disappointed and as your Kage, I'm worried, but as your father, I could not be prouder of the extraordinary seal work I have seen from you today. Keep the seal out of written means for now. Use the theory to modify storage seals instead and maybe one day we will have a peace where there is no need to keep human sacrifices as weapons and you can use your seal to set them free."

He had crouched down to Ashura's level so that he could make eye contact with his son, a pang of regret coursing through him at the tears and his refusal to meet his eyes. 

"Learn from your mistakes, Ashura. Don't be weighed down by them. Guilt will only hold you back."

It was curious, Ashura thought, how fitting those words were, for his current situation. Zetsu was a master manipulator for sure. It had chosen the perfect moment when most of his anger had evaporated into bittersweet longing and sorrow and what remained would be tempered by guilt into determination to rebuild his home. He felt a frisson of fear at the thought that if it had asked for any other seal, he would probably have agreed, so caught up in the dreams he was building. As it was, he was sorely tempted and had he not the brief flash of memory and his father's words to guide him, he might very well have given in.

"I'm afraid," he said, very obviously not letting go of the borrowed weapon, " that I have never heard of such a seal. And considering that I was the second greatest seal master in Uzushio, after my own master, I very much doubt it's existance."

"Ah! But that is precisely why I came to you! As the last Uzushio sealing master," and Ashura had to grit his teeth very hard to not bite back a bitter retort at that, "I wanted you to create one for me!" It finished with a bestial smirk that resembled a snarl more than a smile. "I remember Uzu as she was, you know? With towering walls ringed in gold and engraved with seals and sunsets the colour of an Uzumaki's hair."

Ashura's chest burned with a fierce joy and longing so strong, it left him breathless. He wanted nothing more than to go back to yesterday when he sat on his father's knee and laughed at the amount of paperwork he had to do. Yesterday, when he practised with Arashi and Ichigo until all three of them were too tired to move and they collapsed on top of him. Yesterday, when Miyuki baa-san had promised to keep his kunai ready for him to study the Hiraishin. Yesterday, when Uzushio was golden and crimson and alive and ringed in azure seas with sea foam like pearls on the tips. Yesterday, when nothing was like today with smoke and fire and death and loss.

The anger seeped out of him leaving him with nothing more than a dull weariness that seeped into his bones and aged him so far beyond his ten years that he felt a different person altogether.

"I'm still going through the funeral rites and I would appreciate being left alone to do so. I will not be available to commission anything for a while so kindly leave me alone."

"It really is a pity that you aren't more like Indra. I will not be able to take no for an answer but you are clearly not going to co-operate. _Zetsu_! 

The last call seemed to be a jutsu of some kind, one that caused numerous white skinned humanoids to appear and circle Ashura. "I know that you are capable of making it, Ashura kun. I will just have to make you more amenable to my offer." The black Zetsu itself was within the ring of clones as it spoke to Ashura. "Tell me, boy, are you willing to leave your people without completing the rites?"

Ashura didn't bother to reply. Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second, he said, "Forgive me for the crimes I commit towards you. I will make it as swift as I can." 

His right hand flew through one-armed seals even as he hefted the naginata in his left and sliced two clones in half. "Katon- Gokakyou no Jutsu", he called, letting the familiar heat of the fireball leave his throat and incinerate even more of them. Spinning lithely in a circle, he finished off a few more, cleaving some in two, and aiming for vital points in the others. For every one, he ensured that he gave them as quick and merciful a death as could in the circumstances. 

"So that's why you are called the Bleeding Angel? I have never seen a shinobi ask for forgiveness from those he kills and certainly not one who does nothing but aim for vital points. Your style will be easily broken, boy." Zetsu had not yet joined the battle, seemingly satisfied to watch from the sidelines and comment.

"When it is broken, I will find another way to fight, but I will not be needlessly cruel. We may not be samurai, but honour and respect for our enemies need not be so far-fetched a concept." The unbalanced weight of the unfamiliar weapon wasn't holding him back that much and his chakra reserves were not high enough to attempt another draining Ninjutsu technique. Instead, he focussed chakra onto his fingertips and traced a Fuuinjutsu ring in mid-air as he fought.

It had been his father's idea, to convert his absurdly good chakra control into the rather chakra heavy art of Fuuinjutsu. Not so much as chakra draining, Fuuinjutsu required a more denser chakra, a kunai instead of a senbon needle. That was why Uzumaki were considered pioneers in the art, being genetically predisposed to have denser chakra, thereby finding it more easier to perform.

Even then, he had been considered a prodigy and with the chakra control he practised, he could probably become an iryo-nin if he so desired. Instead, he had woven it into his Fuuinjutsu style, making it even more deadly on the battlefield as his primary weapon instead of pre-made support items as was the convention.

The final slash of his sword coincided with the burst of chakra to activate the transparent, wind-chakra based seal. It was an absorption seal, not particularly difficult and usually used by medics to absorb poison and infection from patients. Normally, it worked slow enough to allow the vacuum to be filled safely so that the patient is not in any danger, but Ashura had added a speed component to it as well that reduced the time of action to nearly instantaneous. The resulting vacuum dragged winds into it at dangerous speeds but left the eye of the storm calm enough for Ashura to stand in. This meant that with a few strokes and a near negligible amount of chakra, he could produce a cyclone and with his wind affinity, he could direct it fairly reasonably as well.

"Fuuin!" He cried with the last downward stroke of his hand and immediately, the winds began to gather around him, spinning faster and faster around the small clearing. He grit his teeth as he fought to gain control over the winds, his chakra reserves now dangerously low. 

He should have attempted something less draining but more than fighting Zetsu and its clones, he needed to complete the funeral rites. Based on its words, it obviously wanted to capture and not kill him, so attempting an escape at a later time was more prudent. His chakra was too low to actually fight a competent enemy and he held no compunction of being able to defeat it. 

Zetsu seemed to agree as well when it called, " Do you honestly believe that you can fight for so long, boy? While your Fuuinjutsu is admirable, it just proves that I was right in deciding to find you. Come without a struggle and maybe the last citizen of Uzushio can actually do her some good instead of just ending her line."

"Uzushio's legacy burns in me and she will respect my decisions. Even if I fall today, her legacy will remain in every seal that is ever used from the Jinchuuriki Seal to the common explosion tags that children play with. _You _are a fool for attempting to steal a part of her legacy from one of her children!" Ashura snarled as Zetsu was the only one to emerge from the cyclone.__

__He could feel the dull burning of straining chakra coils as he forced the winds to swirl around the dying flames, damping them still further until all the ashes were swirling hypnotically around Zetsu and himself. When it finally attacked, he was forced to split his focus between the battle, as he swing the sword at Zetsu's neck, and directing the winds towards the surrounding seas._ _

__Just as the last of the ashes were scattered on the waves, it managed to get a strike on the shoulder bearing the storage seal. With a strangled scream, he lost control of the winds and the resulting chakra drain tore through his body, burning like acid in his veins. He fell to his knees, vision whiting out from the pain, seal burning like a brand on his shoulders as it stole chakra from reserves he did not have. He couldn't see beyond the pain, but he lashed out blindly with his sword only to find his arms bound tightly._ _

__Even as he knew he had lost, he couldn't help the triumphant smirk that made its way on to his face. As the ringing in his ears began to slow and the spots in his vision began to dull, he could see the blurry image of Zetsu along with another figure._ _

__"Uzushio's shinobi," he gasped out, his voice tinny and far away to his own ears, "will always find a home in the cradle of her seas. From birth to death, your voyage is done. Thank you for-"_ _

__The unknown shinobi surged forward, grabbing Ashura by the throat and raising him to face his attacker._ _

__"-your service. Thank you-" he gasped weakly, struggling against the grip. The shinobi's hand was larger than both his slight hands put together and the callouses that came from repeated weapons handling stood out starkly. "-for... your-"_ _

__His words were near silent now and the spots in his vision were growing larger but he couldn't stop now. One last word and he would have done the bare minimum required as a survivor._ _

Survivors, Ashura recalled, were the ones who had to learn to live again, more than the dead. For death happened more to the people who sat at the funeral, and tried not to follow the fire. He could not- _would not _fail them again.__

____

__

__Despite the pain, despite the breathlessness, despite the grief and the danger posed by the two enemies, he forced the last word out of tortured lungs and finally looked into the eyes of his captor._ _

__

__"Sacrifice", he breathed into the spinning Sharingan that stood out starkly against pale Uchiha skin and dark hair. His last thought was that it was fitting indeed that he finds his end amidst eyes the colour of blood._ _

__

__"Tsukiyomi."_ _

__

__And then sea green eyes fell shut against bleeding crimson that broke them._ _

____


	3. Crimson Conviction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations!  
> A bit longer chapter to make up for the break. Hope you like it and please comment your opinions, likes and dislikes and give me kudos! Till next time
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> My path back home is riddled, they say,  
>  With more then just sharp stones,  
>  But I'll take a tread off the beaten path,  
>  If it only gets me home.  
>  For blood I'll bleed, and pain I'll keep,  
>  With hurt I'll deal, and rewards I'll reap,  
>  If only the light at the end of the night,  
>  Is the one in the bedroom where I sleep.

"Ne, Kagami sensei, do you have a Sharingan?"

A wrinkled head wreathed in silver looked up from the scrolls he was poring over with a mildly amused expression on his face.

"As a matter of fact, I do. What brought this on?" He replied indulgently, smiling at the Uzukage's son. " I could have sworn you were studying a Katon jutsu." He didn't let the admonishment into his tone but Ashura flushed all the same.

"I read it earlier. Could I... Could I ask you a few questions about it?" His eager smile seemed to light up the youthful face. "It's not taboo, right? I didn't mean to offend you." The latter seemed to be an afterthought and the older men laughed at Ashura's embarrassed visage.

"It's fine, brat. _I _don't mind and I'd tell you if it was clan business."__

____

__"Although," he leaned forward, mussing the shoulder length red hair, "you need to learn to control your mouth. You know how important diplomacy will be for you."_ _

____

__Ashura waved off the words with practised ease. "Tou san says the same thing. Honestly it would be so much easier if everyone just said exactly what they wanted to say. There would be no need for stuffy meetings and I wouldn't have to read into everything that's said to me."_ _

____

__He wrinkled his nose at the thought and let out a theatrical groan._ _

____

__"Just the other day, Grass's Kage was trying to set up a _betrothal _with his eldest daughter and I didn't even realise until Tou san refused it. I thought he was asking for some scrolls or a library or something when he spoke of the 'merging of our cultures and the rewards it would produce'." He shivered briefly. "Bleargh."__ __

_____ _

____Kagami took careful note of the incident and absently made a plan to talk to Amahiko about it. As much as he hated it, Uzushio's brightest pearl had been garnering attention and in a shinobi society, that wasn't always good. It might be overstepping his role as a diplomatic representative of Konoha but the men had been friends long enough that propriety was meaningless between them. He was training the man's son anyway, he clearly trusted him. Privately, he admired the Uzukage for allowing his son to be a child while catering to his prodigious genius at the same time. Konoha could certainly learn from that instead of forcing their genii onto the front line. It wasn't doing the Hatake brat any good and it certainly wouldn't do any others either._ _ _ _

_____ _

____Returning to the conversation in front of him, he said, with the air of long suffering annoyance, "You wanted to ask about the Sharingan, brat?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____Ashura perked up again. "Oh! Yes, so can you actually remember everything that you see with it? And every jutsu?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Indeed. An increased memory is genetically part of being an Uchiha. As for the jutsu, it's more about being able to see the seals done slowly and how it should look like. The chakra is moulded instinctively. That's why we can learn jutsu near instantaneously.'_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"So if I didn't use hand seals, you wouldn't be able to copy me?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"An experienced Sharingan user probably still could but maybe not immediately. It's the basic theory behind hand seals, tiger seal for fire, rat seal for water and so on."_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"And Fuuinjutsu?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Nope. I can memorise it but unless I know the order of strokes and parts where to put chakra, not to mention modifying my chakra enough to resemble an Uzumaki's, I won't be able to copy Fuuinjutsu. Your seals are your own damn problem, brat."_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"I didn't think you were going to steal it! I just asked!" Ashura said, hurrying to reassure his teacher._ _ _ _

_____ _

____"And I answered, squirt. Don't worry, I was teasing you." That might have been one of the worst parts of having Uchiha Kagami as a teacher. He was powerful and knowledgeable but he enjoyed a dry sense of humour that left Ashura discombobulated. Nevertheless, he was someone he trusted implicitly and held in great regard._ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Could I see it?" The boy asked, not without a small amount of trepidation colouring his voice._ _ _ _

_____ _

____In response, Uchiha Kagami allowed his eyes to spin into red, the three tomoe morphing into a swirling black pinwheel as he turned to Ashura. It was odd looking into another person's eyes with the Sharingan and not using any techniques just as it was odd to have another meet his eyes with no fear but his student was far from conventional, staring in fascination at the doujutsu._ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Isn't it supposed to have tomoe, not a ...wheel?" He gestured curiously._ _ _ _

_____ _

____And there it was. His student was far too knowledgeable for his own good and had a habit of questioning everything. It wasn't a bad trait for a researcher or even a shinobi but being trained in politics meant that he should be able to control his tongue better. "It is." Kagami replied with a bitter chuckle. No Uchiha wanted to discuss the Mangekyou Sharingan and Kagami was no different. A double edged sword that was gifted unknowingly and always unwanted. No matter the time, it forced perfect recall of the moment it evolved, a cruel reminder of painful memories. He himself was loathe to watch Tobirama sensei sacrifice himself over and over again for them as the scene morphed into crimson._ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Think of it as an upgrade. It allows for a few special techniques and a more powerful Genjutsu."_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"The Sharingan is already known for powerful Genjutsu, right? So the pinwheel allows for one that is harder to break?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"It's called a Mangekyou, brat, and the Genjutsu is not just hard, it's impossible to break out off."_ _ _ _

_____ _

____"Impossible," Ashura breathed in shock. "So if anyone meets your eye while fighting, it's over..?"_ _ _ _

_____ _

____Kagami doesn't reply. It wasn't untrue. With powerful illusions that were bred right from the mind of the viewer, it was easy to break shinobi in a matter of seconds. There was a reason Uchiha were so feared. But there was also a reason so few Uchiha were _that _powerful. Not only was the chakra drain dangerous but the mentality needed to psychologically torture another was not typically found in Uchiha. Guilt was after all the emotion that produced the Mangekyou and fear, the Sharingan itself, neither of which were easy to bear while carrying out such actions. Still Ashura's thinking wasn't even that unusual. The Sharingan was a ridiculously powerful doujutsu but in his opinion, the pain of activating it wasn't worth the payout. Too many of his clansmen had fallen victim to the Curse of Hatred after watching loved ones die and too many more had simply broken after activating the Mangekyou, refusing to use it in battle because it turned their loved ones' deaths into weapons to kill. He had seen a man tear out his eyes and burn them when he gained the Mangekyou after watching his daughter killed in front of him.___ _ _ _

_____ _

______Far too many shinobi saw Uchiha as emotionless and cold but their famed doujutsu was governed by emotions too powerful to contain. It was a terrible thought that the more broken were the most powerful._ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

______Perhaps realising the melancholic path the old man's thoughts had taken, Ashura's voice was appropriately subdued when he asked, "Kagami sensei, what is the name of that Genjutsu?"_ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

______"Tsukiyomi", the man offered, a wry smile pulling at his lips. "The unbreakable, unbeatable Genjutsu, Tsukiyomi."_ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_______________________________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _

___The problem with Tsukiyomi, as Ashura found out, was that it didn't try to hide the fact that it was an illusion. A Genjutsu is prided on being untraceable to prevent it being broken but Tsukiyomi was powerful enough that it held the fact that it was illusory upto the light and preyed on the dread it elicited. Ashura knew with certainty that the pain he felt and the images he watched were manufactured but it didn't help in the slightest. If anything, it exacerbated it, the feeling of helplessness stealing over his breast as it grabbed him painfully around the throat. The worst part was that the scenes were familiar ones, his worst nightmare drawn out of his mind and painted into reality by the accursed jutsu. He knew, with heartbreaking realisation that he would be able to do nothing but watch as mistake after mistake played out, the scene set on what would bring Uzushio to her knees._ _ _

___The sea was stormy that day. Greenish grey waves had battered the rocks that bordered the island. Even the many sea birds that called their lament above the roiling waters were few and far between and those that had alighted on the docked vessels were buffeted mercilessly by the fierce onslaught of the howling winds. The sky mirrored the sea in hue too well albeit with fiery flashes of light over the steadily furious rumbling. The clouds burst into showers, not the life giving rain but sharp, painfully heavy strikes of water that battered the roofs on the island and her seas._ _ _

___There were precious few people awake at the late hour but Ashura remembered watching at his windowsill in awe as Nature battled his village. He had not seen any others but he remembered the patrols that passed the Uzukage's house to signal. Now he watched in helpless longing as the few patrols that passed were harried and drenched, barely managing to catch a glimpse of empty rocks before signalling 'all good'._ _ _

___In vain did Ashura scream and beg for even one of them to look closer and note the muted glowing of the barrier seals that screamed 'intruders'. In vain did he beg his own past self to act. In vain did he contain his tears when his voice was lost to the winds and his form to the shadows, a background figure, one that would have no bearing on how the end played out._ _ _

___For the patrols were deaf to his pleading and with a final cursory glance around, they returned back in through the walls of the village, leaving Ashura useless outside._ _ _

___The storm raged throughout the night but as dawn glowed softly over the highest towers it seemed to settle down, buffeting winds stalling, ferocious waves calming, and grey skies clearing to welcome the sunrise._ _ _

___Ashura himself was loathe to enter the village. He knew what happened and couldn't bear to watch it again knowing that there was nothing he could do, but it seemed the treacherous Sharingan user had accounted for his reticence and there was an insistent force that he could not disobey, urging him into the village._ _ _

___"Ashura! Ashura! Hurry up! We have training!" The speaker was one of the two boys standing outside Ashura's house. He was carrying a pouch of kunai, senbon, shuriken, a Fuuinjutsu calligraphy kit and at the very top of his teetering pile, two wrapped bentos. His twin brother, for their features were too similar to be anything but, rolled his eyes before knocking sharply._ _ _

___"Ashura, Ichigo is going to drop your bento if you don't get out now."_ _ _

___The offended squeak from the boy in question was unfortunately accompanied by wild flailing that might, on an ordinary day, be endearing, but carrying the number of items as he was, merely ended up with the weapons on the ground, the ink on his face and the bentos neatly secured in Ashura's past self's hands as he threw himself bodily at them to prevent disaster._ _ _

___"Why is your first instinct to go after the food and not your friend? I'm never going on a mission with you again! You'll probably leave me to fight a missing nin while you run to save our lunch!" Ichigo muttered morosely as he picked himself up, scowling at the offending items in mock annoyance._ _ _

___"Well, when you find missing nin in Takao ji chan's cabbages, I promise I'll come to your rescue, oh damsel in distress." The Uzukage's son afforded him a mock bow. "Besides your mother's cooking is worth the world. I prize it above everything and certainly above a _strawberry _."___ _ _

_____Ichigo just snarled inarticulately before turning on his brother. "You don't get to laugh, Arashi. You're the one who made me drop everything in the first place!"_ _ _ _ _

_____"Speaking of which", Ashura drawled, "there are these wonderful seals called storage seals that allow you to carry items without looking like a pack mule. I don't know if you've heard of them?" He blinked in surprise at the innocent expression that stole over Arashi's face and the long suffering sigh from Ichigo._ _ _ _ _

_____"Ichi chan is banned from storage seals for a week." Arashi offered as he began to pick up the weapons. "Terrible business. Really. So sad."_ _ _ _ _

_____"It was your fault, you brat." Ichigo turned to Ashura with a scowl. "He asked me to seal a scroll for him but it was another storage seal and the dimensional pockets were unstable and... well, you can guess what happened. Mum was so mad and of course refused to believe precious little Arashi chan could ever do anything so bad and I got punished instead."_ _ _ _ _

_____"It was such a huge explosion." Arashi whispered in awe, eyes sparkling with a truly disturbing amount of joy. "And it's your own fault, brother, your reputation as a prankster makes it too easy to get you in trouble. Just ask Ashura." He shrugged nonchalantly._ _ _ _ _

_____The bickering brothers were interrupted by the soft snort of amusement from the third of their number. "Arashi is an evil genius and Ichigo is not subtle at all. Happy? And I'm not training now. I have to finish Kagami sensei's work. He left yesterday."_ _ _ _ _

_____"Ashuraaaa!" Ichigo moaned. "Come on. Kagami san won't be back for a month. You can complete it later."_ _ _ _ _

_____Even so he stepped inside, still complaining, as Arashi whacked the back of his head in admonishment and the door closed behind the three boys, leaving the unwilling, invisible spectator staring despondently after them._ _ _ _ _

_____He hadn't bothered to try to talk to them. Just watched desperately, drinking in every laugh and moment of joy with a hunger that left an ache in his chest. They were carefree and unburdened, easy in their interactions and so innocent that it brought tears to his eyes. It seemed unbelievable that everything had changed so much in just a day. The easygoing smile on his doppelganger's face was so foreign an expression that to copy it was to feed the loneliness he drowned in as he missed Arashi and Ichigo so much it _burned _.___ _ _ _ _

_______When he was compelled to follow the three as they emerged from the house, he couldn't be bothered to resist, simply allowing himself to be led behind them as they greeted civilians and shinobi alike, faces he could only recall in the embrace of burning flames and frozen in shock and pain._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______The term civilian itself was a bit of a misnomer. Unlike most other Hidden villages, Uzushio's civilians were at least ninja academy graduates. They were given the option to choose a life outside of bloodshed if they so desired but if their Kage called, they were always willing to answer. Most of the so called civilians were retired or handicapped shinobi, kunoichi who chose to raise a family or those who simply chose not to carry out missions unless necessary. The reason for this unique situation was purely because of their small population. Uzushio was populated by primarily three clans, the Uzumaki being the most widespread one. The notorious longevity of the Uzumaki meant that even with a smaller population, Uzushio was respected as a powerful ally and a deadly enemy. Their prodigious mastery of Fuuinjutsu only added to their strength and cemented their position as an unofficial Great village._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______This meant that every one of the people that Ashura saw as he trailed behind his past self had taken up arms for their village and every one of them had died fighting. He felt his throat close up as they walked into Miyuki baa-san's weapons store and he could think of nothing but the way her face had twisted in death, grotesque in its lifelessness, wrinkly calloused fingers loose around the naginata, he had stolen to fight with._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Miyuki baa-san, are my kunai ready?" He heard himself call through his panic._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"I'm not so old that I don't recognise what you're trying to do, Ashura kun. I don't think the Yellow Flash is going to be happy that you are recreating his Hiraishin but here you go." She put a wrapped bundle of uniquely shaped kunai with a chakra receptive coating on the counter with a smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Psh." Ashura replied, waving off her worry. "It was Senju Tobirama's Hiraishin first and Kagami sensei said it would be fine."_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Well, Uchiha san is respected in the village and a student of Senju so I hope for your sake he knows what he is talking about."_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He picked up the cloth covered bundle, sealing it carefully into the storage scroll he had marked onto his stomach. It had been a tricky job to tie it into his chakra coils without draining them but it had worked finally and had earned him his title as a sealing master, the youngest one in recorded history._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______With a cheery wave, he dragged the copper haired brothers from where they were studying a pair of brass knuckles, out of the shop._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Where would you even learn to use them?" He said as they resisted._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"We could get a Konoha instructor like you and Kagami san. I heard the Hokage's son uses a trench knife built as a pair of brass knuckles." Arashi said carelessly._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Sure. You can fight the fire daimyo for him. Last I heard he was part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Ashura replied incredulously._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Arashi's reply was a condescending, "Meh. Details." But Ichigo just nodded excitedly, "Exactly! Imagine how strong he would be!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______It was an innocent conversation, reminiscent of their ordinary interactions but Ashura knew what came next. Knew it with the sinking feeling in his chest and the silence that was louder than any scream as he opened his mouth to warn his people._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Suiton- Suizetsusan no Jutsu!" The call was accompanied by a razor sharp pillar of water that raced towards the shinobi that had appeared on the roof of the weapons shop. It left her bleeding from a fatal wound in the belly but with incredible fortitude, she landed on the ground in front of Ashura._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______By now every shinobi had their hands on their weapons, Arashi and Ichigo were back to back, kunai in hand and Ashura's fingers were glowing with chakra to draw a seal._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Ashura sama. Uzukage sama says to call..." She coughed up blood. "To call an emergency and return to the tower im..immediately. Kiri... and Iwa shinobi." With a rattling breath she tried to speak further but the blood dribbling down her chin was proof that she would not be able to make it._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Arashi, Ichigo, cover me. Watch for the attacker, that was a Kiri technique." With that Ashura crouched to the shinobi's side, his hand glowing green. He tried to stem the bleeding but after only a few seconds, he knew it was useless. "Your name, shinobi?" He asked instead._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"Uzumaki Kish ... Kishiko, Ashu...ra sa..ma." Her last breath rattled painfully through her lungs for a second before she stilled, her eyes glassy and unfocused._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Ashura's eyes were dry but he mouthed the words along with the other as he spoke. "Thank you for your service and your sacrifice, Uzumaki Kishiko. Uzushio's shinobi will always have a home in her seas. Your voyage is now complete from birth to death. May you be free from storms in the final journey you traverse."_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______This time he saw what his past self did not. The way Miyuki baa-san's head bowed, the way Arashi and Ichigo's hands tightened on their weapons even as they continued to scan for threats and the way a tear almost escaped his eyes as he let the body, for it was no longer a person, just a husk, onto the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"As sealing master and high authority in this village, I declare an emergency. All able bodied shinobi are to take up arms against the enemy. As of this moment, Iwa and Kiri are considered the enemy. Children below academy age are to find shelter in the academy and will be protected there. Uzushio needs your defence."_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He did not say goodbye, it was a word of farewell and to say it before battle was considered bad luck but he grasped his best friends' wrists tightly, conveying all the 'good lucks' and 'stay safes' he could not say before he turned and body flickered away._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He was deaf to the agonized begging of the boy who had seen this exact scene before and regretted it every second. He did not know that it would be the last time he ever saw either of them again. That the next time he would see Arashi, he would have only one arm and a broken expression. That the next time he saw Ichigo, he would be long dead, protecting Arashi because that's what he always did. That the next time he stepped foot into that marketplace it would be to collect bodies for the biggest gravesite he had ever seen. That the next time he said those words of farewell, it would be for an entire race not just a single kunoichi. But he was oblivious to his fate when he left with nary a glance back._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Ashura expected to follow his oblivious self to the Uzukage's tower but when he found himself in the same position even after a few minutes, he felt a frisson of fear creep up his spine. Throughout the day he had been aware of the fact that the unknown Sharingan user had cast the Genjutsu on him and was making note of his reactions. He had been so certain that he would not break under whatever the Zetsu claimed was 'convincing him' but as the Uzushio shinobi prepared for battle he knew he couldn't bear watching as they _fought _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He had not been witness to the battle in the first place and had only seen the aftermath, so perhaps that meant that this was all an illusion? The rest of the scenes had been from his own memories. He prayed that it meant that the battle he was to watch, was fake. He had hardly considered the thought before his head resounded,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Don't worry, brat. It's all genuine memories. You might not have been there while your people fell but that doesn't excuse you from seeing it. You are seeing the truth, I was there, after all."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________It was the way he called him a brat, with the same dry tone as Kagami sensei that forced him to acknowledge that it was an Uchiha torturing him like this. An Uchiha from the same clan that Kagami sensei came from and told stories about. It shifted the idea of faceless Sharingan user to an Uchiha that Kagami sensei probably knew and was friendly with. Somehow that made it feel like a betrayal on top of the guilt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________The tears that he had dried not so long ago fell from his eyes as he closed them, squeezing them shut in a futile attempt to ignore the happenings in front of him but of course Tsukiyomi ensured that they played out in full colour behind his closed eyelids as he sobbed painfully, cried for his people that would never live again, that would never laugh again, that he could confirm he failed in the cruelest manner possible. Great, gasping sobs tore from his chest with the breath from his lungs and the light from his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He watched as the Kiri and Iwa shinobi took to the streets outnumbering his people four to one. He watched as Miyuki baa-san called the battlecry that was echoed by Arashi and Ichigo before they fought with the mindless strength that stems in hope. He watched as a Doton jutsu destroyed the weapons store, collapsing it along with its owner inside. She did not come out of the rubble._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He watched as Arashi called her name desperately as he fought an Iwa shinobi twice his size with only a kunai and the hopelessness that wrung his frame. He watched as he was outmatched, outmanuevered and disarmed. He watched as his arm was severed with a Futon jutsu, causing the boy to scream in pain. He cried harder when the finishing strike was caught on Ichigo's blade as he protected his brother with a grim smile that softened at Arashi's face. His last words were painfully loud in the carnage as he told his brother that he loved him always. Ichigo, for all their teasing, meant protector and he had always done that, be it from punishment for pranks or in his final moments, from death, and when he finally fell Arashi screamed so loud Ashura thought his eardrums would burst._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He watched as Arashi killed his brother's opponent. It had been his first kill, he knew, but it should not have been over his brother's body. Ichigo should have been there to hold him through nightmares and console him when he cried. Ichigo should have been there to tell him that he had done the right thing and tease him to make him forget but that would never happen again and Arashi seemed to realise that as he dropped to the ground over Ichigo's body even as the stump of his arm bled sluggishly into the ground and when he finally died, it was a mercy killing because he had already died once with Ichigo. His last words were a plea to Ichigo to wake up and come back to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He had fallen to his knees but he was trapped, staring blankly at the bodies of his friends, so close yet so, so, so far. He watched as shinobi after shinobi fell to the unending onslaught of enemies. He watched as houses crumbled, shops burned and cries of pain and death rang through the air. He watched and watched and watched but he did nothing to help, did not call out warnings, did not do anything but cry over those who were already dead before he watched them die._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He did not know how long he sat and watched, his eyes squeezed shut, unable to block out his sight, his hands over his ears, unable to block out the sound but eventually he broke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Kai! Kai! Kai! Please just stop it. Please." He tried every method he knew to escape Genjutsu to no avail. "Please, I'm begging you. Zetsu! Uchiha! Kai! Just let me go, please." His fingers were starting to cramp with the seal he kept trying to release himself with and he felt blood trickle from his lip where he had bitten through, hoping the pain would get him out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Slowly the scene dissolved into blood red mountains amidst maroon skies and he saw his torturer for the first time. He was white haired and infirm but almost certainly an Uchiha. Wearing a long robe, his eyes creased in what many might assume was pain but Ashura recognised ruthlessness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"This is my Tsukiyomi World. Welcome, Uzumaki Ashura. Here I can stretch three seconds into three days of torment. I can force you to watch your people die over and over and over again while you can do nothing but cry. If I do desire, I can injure you all I want and you wouldn't even bleed in the real world. In this world my word reigns supreme and it would do you good to acknowledge that."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Perhaps it was the words that rankled him but Ashura forced himself to stand. "What do you want?" He asked hoarsely, spitting out a mouthful of blood._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"The Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal and the Uzu sealing scrolls you have hidden on orders of the former Uzukage."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________At that moment, Ashura knew he had no choice. He would die a thousand deaths before he let himself give up Uzushio's legacy. He had sworn to protect it and he knew he would force himself to do so. He raised himself to his full height, lifting his chin proudly so that the Uzushio hitai-ate was visible around his neck. He knew his choice meant that he would be tortured, it meant that he might beg for death, might beg for release, might beg for mercy but he would not, _could not_ allow himself to give up. He asked his people, his Kage, his friends, to give him the strength to hold conviction closer than cowardice and fortitude closer than fear. He asked their help to protect their legacy because alone, he was pitifully weak. With the conviction of four hundred and ninety four Uzushio shinobi and the spirit of Uzushiogakure no Sato behind him, he let the burning in his shoulder center him. Then he screwed up all his courage and said,___ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________"No."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	4. Principles Bleed Through Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> I have come bearing a new chapter for all you lovely ladies and gents. As always, comment likes, dislikes and opinions. Oh, and kudos please. Hope you like it and
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> I built myself an iron shell,  
>  To keep out all the hurt,  
>  But when they broke around it,  
>  I found I could be burnt.  
>  And so I built a stone home,  
>  To keep the pain at bay,  
>  But when they broke around it,  
>  I learnt that I could ache.  
>  And so I let the pain in,  
>  Didn’t let it go away,  
>  Because I may bend and burn and bruise,  
>  But I will never break.

It is said that a person is nothing more than the sum of their thoughts. Actions may speak for plenty and behavior, plenty more, but the true gauge of a person, or so it is said, is what they think and believe.

That being said, one's thoughts are always private. If one is unafraid of being judged for their thoughts, they are either a psychopath or a fool. One’s mind is such a private, closeted space that putting it on display, allowing others to see the innermost thoughts and fears is a phobia so profound it galls the bravest. It requires one to be completely vulnerable, completely bared and completely naked to the harsh scrutiny or worse, the amusement of others. 

This was why, the Sharingan was such a feared doujutsu. It was created in every way to eke out the worst fears from the nooks of a person's mind. It led them to realise that not even their thoughts were entirely private and bared them to their captor. 

Ashura had been lauded as a genius from the moment he stumbled into the art of Fuuinjutsu. The complicated brush strokes and delicate balance that drove the sealing arts, found masterful handlers in his young arms. Not only the physical aspect, but his unique outlook and strategic thinking allowed the favourite art of the Uzumaki to be almost single handedly revamped by the young master. His keen eye for statistics meant that his father often took the time to help him understand the tactics he ought to apply to various situations. As such he had always been given to understand that his mind was his best weapon, his intellect was all he needed to face down a threat and a strategic mind could out maneuver the strongest techniques.

Now, faced as he was by a man who played entirely with his psyche, who favoured phsychological attacks as much as he did, who took savage pride in dismantling his foremost weapon, he was lost. Especially when he knew the nightmares he saw were drawn by his torturer, from his own mind, a fortress he had deemed secure enough to stay emotionally vulnerable behind. 

He had begun to lose track of the days as the Uchiha forced him into Tsukiyomi time and time again. Perhaps even more cruelly, he had begun to intersperse the unbreakable Genjutsus with ordinary ones, that could be easily broken, a fact he made sure to let the trembling boy know, as he wept for the people he let die. 

Ashura may have been a prodigy and a genius, mature beyond his years and the bearer of Uzushio’s legacy, but ultimately he was just a child and while children may be harder to break, they are malleable enough to bend and that was what the Uchiha was depending on. 

He had, until then not laid a hand on the boy, making sure his entire being was suffused with guilt and shame before he began to break him physically as well. 

He was beginning to get an idea of what drove his prisoner from the scenes that terrified him. Ashura, it seemed, was loyal, first and foremost, to his ideals, his people and his village and then he allowed himself the ties of family. It was a very mature way of thinking and one that would have served Uzushio well, had she lasted long enough to grant him the Uzukage’s hat. 

But more importantly, he was proud. Not arrogant beyond the childish enjoyment of superiority but proud of his intelligence, especially his skill in Fuuinjutsu. The last would be an obstacle, because from what he had gathered from the boy’s mind, the Jinchuriki Breaking seal was one of his own creation and he would be reluctant to give it up. Still, his pride in his talent as a shinobi was one he could exploit well. He had refrained from physical torture to prevent actually killing him before he got what he needed but if he could injure him severely enough to destroy his chances at ever fighting as a shinobi again, he would be well on his way to break him enough to get what he needed.

He glanced once more at the Uzumaki as he sat huddled in the corner of the cave, they had imprisoned him in. One of his hands was manacled to the wall and chakra suppressing cuffs were wound tightly around his ankles. He was unconscious, probably a combination of exhaustion and blood loss, although his wounds had stopped bleeding a few hours after being brought there. There were dried tear tracks washing away the grime on his face and his jaw bore a large, purpling bruise. Somehow in unconsciousness, when he did not bear the titles he was afforded, he seemed younger, just a child caught up in an adult’s war, a child forced to leave behind his childhood, a child forced to grow up far too quickly. 

The Uchiha looked away from the boy, not wanting to give himself reason to doubt his conviction and made to leave when he was stopped by the high, childlike tones of his captive.

“If you are going to hold me captive, you may as well afford me the knowledge of your identity.” He did not dare to make eye contact with the Uchiha but that was to be expected after he had seen first hand the circumstances of doing so. 

“You clearly know who I am,” he shrugged, “Seems only fitting I know who you are.”

“Your courage eclipses your years, Uzumaki Ashura, but your nonchalance will be your undoing. Nevertheless my name is one concession I can afford you although you have probably heard of me in your studies. Uchiha Madara was the name I was granted at birth.” 

With that final repartee, he left, each footstep silent against the gravel, as only a shinobi could.

An incredulous laugh bubbled out of Ashura’s chapped lips. Uchiha Madara! Would wonders never cease? He was very tempted to dismiss the words as a cover but two points stayed his decision. 

The first, that whoever the man was, there was no need for him to give a false name and certainly not one that every shinobi worth their salt would recognize. His usage of the sharingan confirmed his heritage and his aged appearance lent credence to his claim as well. 

The second decision was that Ashura knew most of the Uchiha by name, if not by face, through Kagami sensei’s grumblings. He was amongst the oldest generation and there hadn’t been any Uchiha missing nin since Madara. The dangers of having Sharingan in the hands of rogue powers meant that any missing Uchiha was scrutinized severely.

Thus he was forced to draw the conclusion that somehow, Uchiha Madara had raised himself from the dead and was looking to gain control of the Bijuu once more, if his insistence on the Jinchuriki Breaking Seal was any inclination. 

He sighed, letting his head rest on the cooling stone walls. His captor’s startling revelation may have cut through his melancholy but now that he was alone once more, he found his mind wandering to the images that haunted him. He had not always taken the time to know every shinobi in the village like his father, but after what felt like days of watching nothing but their last moments and their loved ones calling for them, he felt hot shame trickle down his spine. The worst part was when Madara had interspersed the Tsukiyomi with ordinary genjutsu, most likely to conserve chakra, but he hadn’t even attempted to escape it. He may have sworn not to break and give them what they wanted but surely he ought to have had enough pride that he was not going to just surrender and let them try!

The first order of business was to rectify the Genjutsu. He did not have enough information to fight Tsukiyomi but if he trained himself to disperse his chakra flow every few minutes, it should work satisfactorily. 

The second was keeping himself alive. Zetsu and Madara may want information and he had been lucky enough to avoid physical torture but he wasn’t fool enough to believe that would be the case throughout his time in their presence. The chakra suppression cuffs ensured his tenketsu points were blocked but it did not prevent the chakra flow in his body, thus, ensuring that medical Ninjutsu was still an option. 

Not for the first time, he thanked all the powers for his anomalous chakra control. The problem was that he had only had the very basic lessons in it. Beyond cuts, bruises, burns, preventing scars and propagating blood he knew little else and from the words of his teacher he knew attempting anything further was rife with risks he dared not tempt. It would have to do, he decided. Anything further he would attempt based on the situation.

The third, and arguably most important order of business, was planning an escape. He was intelligent enough to recognize the experience of his captors. Madara had been a shinobi for decades and while he may be old, his partner, Zetsu was a powerful enemy to fight. He would likely not get more than one chance at escape and it would almost certainly hinge on his ability to surprise his opponents. By a stroke of luck, he still had the chakra conducive blades he had planned to modify the Hiraishin with and if he could use them to reverse engineer the jutsu, he could do something with that. 

Know thy enemy, was an adage that Kagami sensei had often preached to him and he was determined to make good use of it. Knowing as much as he could about the two could only ever benefit him. 

Plans thus settled, he allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction, before settling into a slightly less uncomfortable position to think.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized that he was repressing the memories he was being shown and that it would be dangerous in the long run, but a much larger part of his mind stubbornly refused to allow him to dwell on the scenes that caused him so much pain. Perhaps not tomorrow, but eventually he would suffer for it. 

Nevertheless, if ever the phrase, 'ignorance is bliss' rang true, it was at that moment and Ashura intended to revel in it.  
______________________________________________________

“The boy is smarter than you think, Madara.” The creature cautioned. “Do not allow yourself to be swayed so easily.”

“He is brave and proud. But more than that, he is loyal. The legacy he protects is that of his people. His goals are similar to mine in that we want what is best for our people. Can you not see how I would respect that?” 

The shinobi shut his eyes heavily. “Didn’t you say there was another way to gather the bijuu, with the help of several people’s chakra together, to remove the bijuu from its host completely? And surely you do not need the Uzushio sealing scrolls for that?”

Zetsu hissed in displeasure. “The great Uchiha Madara swaying from his goals because of a child? And that to a child of the Uzumaki! The only way this would be more ironic is if he was a Senju.” He let out a mocking laugh. 

“Weren’t you the one who cheated death to save his clan? Weren’t you the one who tamed the mightiest bijuu and turned it against those who threatened his clan? Weren’t you the one who gave up your greatest dream and turned from their dearest friend purely to save your clan? And now because of the childish thoughts of a prisoner you change your mind like a chameleon does colours? 

Are you a man or a mouse, Uchiha Madara? This is not the first child you have slayed but if it eases your conscience, he is a shinobi and one of the most dangerous in his village despite his age. Treat him like you would any other enemy and do what you must. His father was taught by the hateful Uzumaki Mito and she has almost certainly poisoned his mind against your clan. If he were to be set free now, he would go to Konoha and poison their minds still further. Are you willing to allow that?”

“No.” The word was quietly spoken as if prefacing an epiphany. 

“No.” Madara repeated louder. “The Uchiha need their clan head to make the decisions they cannot, and for their sake, I must do this.” 

He did not thank Zetsu but the creature was aware that merely correcting the proud Uchiha was tantamount to murder in his eyes and he was simply grateful that his words had ensured the necessary outcome.

Zetsu was careful not to mention Ashura’s teacher being an Uchiha, knowing that it would not help his case but the change of heart Madara was displaying was worrying. Thankfully it seemed his monologue seemed to have galvanized the Uchiha into action but he would have to keep a close eye on him. 

The boy was another problem. He was truly the best parts of both the sons of Hagoromo, with the kindness and optimism of Ashura and the fierce pride and loyalty that had almost swayed Indra from his plans. While he may not be either of their reincarnations, his charismatic personality was closest to Hagoromo’s and merely that meant that Kaguya would be greatly displeased if he allowed the child to live. His Fuuinjutsu genius was an unexpected bonus that he would certainly put to great use. 

Yes, his machinations were going well but he needed to be wary of the variables. Perhaps if he convinced Madara to find a prodigy? Another Uchiha might be easier to mould, especially if they were young enough. He could even kill off the elder if he began to rebel against his plans. It was certainly a suggestion worth thinking on. 

With a rather amused chuckle, Zetsu left the elder Uchiha to his own thoughts. Soon, his mother would be revived and his plans would bear fruition. It was only a matter of time.

______________________________________________________

Ashura was awoken by the sharp recoil of his chakra being dispersed against resistance which meant that Madara had attempted to place another genjutsu on him. 

It had been difficult, forcing himself to wake up enough to disperse his chakra flow every fifteen minutes but it also ensured that while his sleep had been fitful and interspersed with nightmares that he was very resolutely not thinking about, it had been enough that he had his wits about him. 

“Clever.” Madara said blankly. “I don’t know very many children who would have been able to condition their body to detect Genjutsu while asleep.”

“I'm a shinobi.” Ashura replied flaty, looking resolutely at a spot away from the Sharingan, he was almost certain was blazing in the other’s eyes.

“Yes”, he said, breathing out slowly, “You are a shinobi first and a child, second.” 

His tone was odd enough that it gave Ashura chills. He seemed oddly conflicted as he stood before him and hadn’t forced Ashura to meet his eyes yet. Something was afoot.

“Katon- Housenka no Jutsu!”

Ashura flinched as a volley of small fireballs spun towards him in an oddly mesmerizing pattern pausing just as they touched his skin. He forced himself to remain still, muscles tense, even as he swiveled his head to look just below Madara’s eyes. 

“Give me the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal.”

Ashura didn’t dare breathe, shutting his eyes to prevent getting caught in Tsukiyomi. So Madara had gotten tired of waiting for him to break under the Genjutsu and had decided to resort to more physical methods. 

The boy steeled himself, “No.”

He forced himself to hold back the scream, but a strangled whimper still escaped his lips as the first fireball hit his upper thigh leaving a sickening smell of burning flesh. His leg burned, the small fire tearing through his muscles and overloading the nerves seeming to crescend until it finally settled into a muted throbbing that left him gasping through the overwhelming heat of the other fireballs. For the first time he realized just how many of them there were and felt a slowly growing panic swell in his stomach.

“Give me the Jinchuriki Breaking Seal.”

“No.” he gasped out, tensing as the next fireball burnt through the strap of his hitai-ate ate around his neck and leaving the nape of his neck screaming with pain. However his cry this time was of fear not pain as he grasped the hitai-ate ate before it fell. He _could not _lose his last identity as an Uzushio shinobi. Not caring if Madara saw, he fumbled through his tattered clothes blindly and sealed it into his stomach seal with his free hand.__

__“So that is where you have hidden the Uzushio sealing scrolls? What would happen, I wonder, if I stabbed you there?” Madara said and although Ashura’s stomach turned at the words, he forced himself not to show it. That he seemed to believe that the seal on his stomach was the only one he had, would be an additional layer of protection for the scrolls._ _

__“Nothing would happen as long as I survived. The seal is attached to my chakra coils and the dimensional pocket is unreachable to all but me. You can't get it without my consent.”_ _

__“Truly ingenious.” He said almost appreciatively, reaching forward to place a hand on the pale and now unmarked skin of Ashura’s stomach, not faltering in the slightest at his immediate and violent flinch at the contact._ _

__"What will happen if I kill you?" His tone was inflectionless, almost coversational as if he wasn't discussing murder with the victim._ _

__"You still won't get it. The pocket will collapse and the items inside will be destroyed forever, so you might want to be careful with the sadistic pleasure you take in my tor...torture, _Madara _."___ _

____Ashura cursed as he stumbled over the word, knowing that it would be taken as a weakness but the pain of another fireball hitting his arm drove the thought from his mind._ _ _ _

____"Mind your tongue, boy. You hold no power here and you certainly hold no moral ground. You said it yourself, you're a shinobi before a child." The Uchiha had a curiously emotionless way of speaking and his emeotion was difficult to read from his tone but in that case, Ashura was certain that the words were lined in cold fury._ _ _ _

____"I am human before anything. The fact that I haven't stooped to torture already puts me on a higher moral ground than you."_ _ _ _

____He dragged his limp arm, ignoring the burning pain that suffused it as he did so._ _ _ _

____"I told Zetsu the same thing and I will tell it to you now. Just because I chose to be a shinobi does not mean I will be needlessly cruel."_ _ _ _

____"You have seen nothing of the world, brat. There is no place for morals amongst shinobi. What will you do when you come across a problem that requires you to give up on those ideals? Will you roll over and ask for death?"_ _ _ _

____He punctuated the statement with a barrage of fireballs that left Ashura screaming in pain, his skin blistering and burning in unbearable torture. The agony was sharp enough that he feared he was going to faint, even as his stomach roiled. His eyes were still squeezed shut but he knew that had they been open they would have been interspersed with black._ _ _ _

____"Do... Do you not have any... any lim..its?" He wheezed at his torturer. "Most shi...nobi do. Some choose not to ...kill chi...ldren, others don't tor...ture. Is there truly nothing you would balk... at?"_ _ _ _

____He coughed painfully. "What... about your family? Your... clan? Would you kill them ... on orders?"_ _ _ _

____He seemed to have got through because the heat of the last few fireballs suddenly disappeared._ _ _ _

____"And what are your limits, Oh Bleeding Angel?"_ _ _ _

____Ashura did not reply. His ideology was one he had spent an absurd amount of time on. It had taken the combined efforts of Kagami sensei and Amahiko to understand the necessity of killing and an even longer time to agree to killing when not in self defence but the fact remained that he had been born into a profession where this was the reality and while he may want to change it he would have to do so from within._ _ _ _

____"I had my first kill at seven years, you know. It was fairly routine. A bandit attack and I killed him almost instantaneously. I had already spoken to my father and was more or less fine with it but when I found myself thinking about him, I couldn't help but feel that his life had amounted to nothing. His body burnt to ashes, and his blood washed off so easily. Perhaps he had a story, a book that would not have anything but the most basic conclusion. Was it a fitting end? I didn't know. Perhaps he had a family? What about their story. Would he be written out of it? Did he deserve that? Again, I didn't know. All I knew was that he had died unknown and would probably have remained so, if he hadn't been my first kill."_ _ _ _

____Ashura stopped to think, remembering the face of Ryuzaki Takeru, as he had managed to find out, and the brief unhappy life he had lived before finding peace on his blades. Before he could continue, Madara interrupted._ _ _ _

____"What if he was a cruel murderer who raped children and enjoyed their screams? Just because someone could be good, doesn't mean they are. Infact most of the people that are killed deserve it. There's a reason hits are out for them."_ _ _ _

____"Hits are a foolish game played by the upper class. They are rich enough to get people they dislike killed while true criminals remain free as long as they stay under the radar, but that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that as a shinobi, for me, killing will be necessary but I can choose the morals I want to live by and so I did. I refuse to kill to make an example of someone and I refuse to prolong a death if it is in my power to make it painless and quick and I will respect every opponent I cross blades with. I might despise their existance, might be glad for their death but I will still respect them in their end."_ _ _ _

____"You are an idealist." The Uchiha spat._ _ _ _

____"I prefer to think of myself as a optimist."_ _ _ _

____There was silence for a very long while. Ashura was tempted to open his eyes but for all he knew, it was a ploy by the elder for that very reason._ _ _ _

____Finally, Madara replied softly, "You are still young but I'm afraid it's unlikely you will live to regret your morals."_ _ _ _

____Ashura just turned his head away from Madara. He could attempt to show his point of view but there was no need to. Whether he accepted it or not, it would not change his situation and he would rather save his energy for something more important._ _ _ _

____"I will offer you another chance to give up the Seal."_ _ _ _

____"No." He said wearily._ _ _ _

____"So be it."_ _ _ _

____Once more the screams rang out, filling the cavern as the boy writhed in agony amidst the rocks and his torturer watched apathetically, both their faces illuminated in the soft glow of the flames._ _ _ _


	5. Heady Hopefulness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations!  
> Chapter Ahoy!!! Please leave your likes, dislikes and opinions in the comments and give me kudos! They mean so much to me. As always, hope you
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Hope was the weapon I chose to fight,  
>  To defend my right to a future I liked.  
>  Hope was the glorious, golden light,  
>  That offered me back, my missing sight.  
>  Hope was a later, tomorrow and next week,  
>  Where I could still see myself breathe.

Insanity came in many forms, Ashura decided. Did it count if he knew he was going insane? Or did it just imply that his particular brand of insanity was the self aware type? When they claimed that insanity had several forms were they aware of the different forms or did they just assume that each person bore their own unique brand of insanity?

Clearly he was going insane if he was even considering these questions. 

He sighed despondently, trying not to move too much as his burnt limbs were slowly suffused with verdant healing chakra. Solitude had become an unwelcome constant in his time in captivity and spending absurd amounts of time talking to himself and thinking had become the norm when it came to passing time.

He didn't know how long he had spent in that cave but his growing nails and lengthening hair spoke of at least a few months in captivity. 

He had been starved for nearly a month although his captors had let him have a few cups of water a week. That time had been the worst of his life. His cheeks had sunken and his gaunt frame had barely been able to take his weight during Madara's torture sessions. His stomach was almost entirely concave and his thin shoulders had shrunken to near skeletal proportions. When he had finally lost consciousness from pain and hunger, he only remembered the feeling of overwhelming relief that had overcome him at that point. Thankfully when he was forced awake by icy cold water on still tender burns, Zetsu decided that starvation was not a viable torture technique when they needed their victim to be in reasonable mental capacity.

His only saving grace had been the medical Ninjutsu. Despite his inexperience, he had managed to protect himself from permanently debilitating injuries. Most of the superficial injuries he left for Madara to see but the rest he managed to heal with remarkable success. 

In further good news, Madara and Zetsu seemed to be at odds with each other, a situation Ashura took full advantage of. As long as he remained quiet enough, the two's arguments lasted long enough that he was safe from further agony. 

He had been forced into Tsukiyomi a few times in the beginning of his capture but by then it was rare for him to open his eyes in either of his captors presence. That being said, his sleep was fitful and he usually spent the nights in various stages of wakefulness just to prevent further nightmares. He knew it was unhealthy. He knew the dangers of repression but honestly speaking, at that moment he was more afraid of his dreams than he was of wakefulness.

Thankfully in his endeavour to avoid Tsukiyomi, he had made the happy discovery that despite the chakra suppressing cuffs, his chakra sensing was not impaired. It wasn't a particularly rare ability nor had he been particularly good at it but with hours of nothing to distract him from the pain of his injuries, he trained it as much as he could. It also allowed him a few moments of light when his captors were not around and he dared to open his eyes. 

He discovered that his prison was part of a series of tunnels that Madara and Zetsu seemed to traverse, on a regular basis, a feat that allowed him to map them out in his mind often sacrificing sleep in order to do so. 

He told himself that he was preparing to escape. He told himself that sleep was unnecessary when he was unconscious so often. He told himself he wasn't avoiding the nightmares. 

He never called himself a liar.

On the escape front however, he had not progressed much. The Hiraishin required a chakra signature to connect to areas through a dimensional plane and as he had not left any chakra signatures before being captured, he had no idea as to how he was going to use the jutsu. 

Similarly the chakra suppression cuffs were easy enough to escape with the help of a few seals to revert the chakra flow but without a source of chakra, the seals would not activate and his own chakra was unreachable. 

His plans having come to a standstill, he spent his time observing the chakra flow in the world around him. The rock walls of the cave were completely invisible to his chakra sense, they were clearly completely devoid af any type of chakra system, but the vines that crept across some of the walls had clear chakra streams running through them. 

What he assumed was probably earth chakra had a deep and dull chakra signature while wind chakra in the stale air of his cave was the easiest to sense due to his affinity for it. It rather reminded him of senbon needles, sharp and pointed but barely clear enough to be seen. Strangely enough, his secondary chakra nature being water did not seem to help him in his quest to find any, perhaps because there were no sources near by or he just hadn't been able to sense any that were. 

Fire and lightning chakra were the two signatures he hated the most because the only time he sensed them was when Madara used them to torture him. The man's own chakra signature was a grotesque amalgamation of the two that left him nauseous to sense. 

Zetsu on the other hand had an entirely different chakra signature. It was fluid and delicately arranged in such a way that he almost glowed with it and Ashura could spend hours just picking apart the nuances of it. Still it was unique enough that he was never caught off guard by his appearance despite his belief that he could travel through the walls. 

He did so now, his chakra emerging from what Ashura had already identified to be a solid wall.

"The Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal?"

Ashura didn't say anything. This was familiar territory. He had stopped replying to the question after hearing little else over several months. There was no point, when the affirmative was the only answer they would appreciate and the only answer he would never give.

"For all your prodigious intelligence, you are truly a fool, Ashura kun. The longer you remain here, the less likely your escape becomes and the greater chance your people's legacy has, of being lost forever with your death."

"You are unusually talkative today." Ashura replies instead of acknowledging the barb. His voice was almost gone, horribly hoarse with disuse and rasped painfully through his sore throat. He didn't remember the last time he spoke. Screams seemed to be the only sounds his captors were able to draw out of his mouth. 

"Are you truly willing to let all that knowledge, all that work go to waste? Where is your loyalty to your clan? Where is your pride as a sealing master?"

Through the inky blackness, Ashura felt cold, calloused hands at his throat before they squeezed tightly, snatching the breath from his lungs. His ears popped as he gagged, free hand attempting to dislodge the strangling grasp. Before he could lose consciousness however, he was released, gasping and coughing even as he felt the ghosts of fingers hovering over his windpipe to crush it.

Sharp, stinging pains erupted all over his chest when several cuts opened up on his torso, not deep enough to kill but painful enough that he had to grit his teeth to not cry out in pain. When Zetsu began rubbing salt in the open wounds, however, Ashura could not hold back his screams as he threw his head back, pulling at the tender skin of his neck and writhing helplessly in his bindings.

Unlike Madara, Zetsu never used a jutsu to torture him. It was purely through physical means and had the added horror of his frigid, dry fingers leaving disgusting ghost trails over Ashura's skin. Sometimes he believed that Madara was the better of the two because at least he was impersonal and aloof while torturing him. 

Sometimes he wondered how sane he was when he contemplated which of his torturers he preferred.

Eventually he must have blacked out because when he woke, he could no longer sense Zetsu. He let the familiar tingling of healing chakra through his body as it soothed raw nerves and reduced bleeding, while leaving the fingerprints around his throat and the cuts on his chest. It was twisted that such a habit had become routine by now but such was the case and he had to deal with it. 

He stretched out his chakra sense seeking the two signatures amongst the tunnel system only to stop short when he found _three_ signatures. The feeling was so shocking that he felt himself recoil at the newcomer before catching himself and seeking it out. 

__They seemed to have a fire affinity but instead of the hateful burning that he associated with Madara it was more muted, warm instead of burning and oddly tempered by what appeared at first glance to be similar to the chakra in the plants. It was ... soothing._ _

__Could they be another prisoner? What purpose would they serve? He was the only one with any kind of sealing mastery and for all their faults, Madara and Zetsu didn't seem the type to act unreasonably._ _

__More importantly, the entry of this new person, for Ashura at least, meant that he had a chance to escape, so many avenues opening, when he had assumed them to be closed till then. If they were an enemy, they probably already knew of his presence and he would have to trick them into helping him escape, but if they turned out to be an ally, well, he could certainly do with one._ _

__From what he could sense, they were stationary in the area he had dubbed the living quarters. It detracted from the ally theory but Ashura hadn't felt anything close to hope in such a long time that he was loathe to lose the heady feeling it left in its wake._ _

__Unfortunately for him, his concentration on the other meant that he had foregone his hypervigilant searching and allowed Madara to enter his prison._ _

__He had been so careful to keep himself from making eye contact with the Uchiha. Of all the pain he had been subject to, nothing, absolutely nothing had come close to the agony of the first few days, when he had spent hours in never ending Genjutsus watching over and over again as friends and family met cruel ends._ _

__At that moment however, their eyes met and he barely managed to catch a glimpse of blood red, swirling with black, before the word, "Tsukiyomi", sent icy shivers down his spine and left him terrified beyond all belief._ _

__He _screamed_ , high and shrill and suffused through with fear. __

____"Kai! Kai! Kai!" His chakra coils ached as he dispelled the flow over and over again to no avail. "Please, please, please stop it. Please I'm begging you. KAI!"_ _ _ _

____His frantic pleading was pointless and to his horror, he found himself back in the crimson wasteland of his nightmares._ _ _ _

____"What shall I do, Uzumaki Ashura? Shall I make you wander Uzushio after her destruction? Shall I force you to watch them die all over again? Shall I just let you hear their screams and nothing else?"_ _ _ _

____If Ashura hadn't been terrified out of his wits, he might have noticed the self satisfied gleam in the Uchiha's eye as he gazed upon the shivering boy._ _ _ _

____"Tell me, brat. How shall I break you?"_ _ _ _

____He didn't wait for an answer, for he certainly wouldn't get one from Ashura and the scene dissolved into black._ _ _ _

____Ashura squeezed his eyes shut and surprisingly, it seemed to work. At least until he realised that the darkness was what his torturer wanted in the first place._ _ _ _

____"Raiton- Jibashi no jutsu."_ _ _ _

____His body jerked helplessly, contorting painfully against the electrocution. Lightning was not as painful as others but it left him with twitching muscles and a deep reaching soreness for several days despite the medical Ninjutsu he attempted._ _ _ _

____The darkness, however, left him reeling from every blow, blinded and completely vulnerable to every torture Madara deigned to inflict upon him._ _ _ _

____"Katon- Gokakyou no jutsu."_ _ _ _

____Katon jutsus were the worst in his opinion. Not only was the pain unbearable but the sickening smell of burning flesh nauseated him._ _ _ _

____Somehow, through the haze of agony, he felt a hand holding his wrist tightly before he heard a gravelly whisper in his ear,_ _ _ _

____"I wonder how a sealing master would be able to survive without holding a brush."_ _ _ _

____With that, he felt the sharp edge of a blade at his palm and barely had time to gasp out a plea, before Madara severed his fingers from his hand with a sickening squelch. Just one stroke and Ashura was left cradling a bleeding stump._ _ _ _

____Ashura honestly thought that he was dying. He didn't think that he would ever feel pain comparable to losing a finger as the blood roared in his ears and his gasping breaths sounded tinny and far away. He did not scream though, or even cry, too numb at the thought that he would never be able to draw a seal again._ _ _ _

____His Fuuinjutsu ability defined him, gave him worth, allowed him to fight and defend and with one stroke Madara had just... destroyed it._ _ _ _

____He didn't realise that the Genjutsu had dissolved around him, simply looking blankly ahead, the mutilated hand cradled in his other._ _ _ _

____"Next time I cut off your fingers, it will not be an illusion. Think carefully on your choices till then."_ _ _ _

____The boy said nothing, didn't even close his eyes as he was wont to do in the Uchiha's presence and Madara forced himself to ignore the voice that told him that after holding out for so long, he had finally broken. If his steps out of the cave that stank of fear and blood and pain was faster than strictly necessary, there was no one around to tell._ _ _ _

____The words however were the only thing that pierced Ashura's shell shocked mind and he feverishly looked over his hands, running disbelieving fingers over the whole thumb of his right hand. It had been a Genjutsu. An illusion. It hadn't been real._ _ _ _

____What had the Uchiha said during his first stint in Tsukiyomi?_ _ _ _

_____**"I can torture you in my Tsukiyomi World and you will not even bleed in real life."**_ _ _ _ _

______But if he was to be believed, then within the next few days, he would be subjected to an unwanted amputation, if he did not give in. Or escape._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was impossible. His plans were untested and barely concrete, depending on trickery or luck. He had no chance on his own and he was too weak to fight his way out. His chakra was bound, body littered with barely healed cuts, burns and bruises and if he wasn't mistaken, Zetsu's last session had left him with a broken leg, he had no hope of healing. It was truly completely and utterly impossible._ _ _ _ _ _

______His heartbeat skyrocketed and his breath escaped in short puffs. Try as he might he could not get any air into his screaming lungs. His vision darkened and his wounds throbbed in tandem with his heart. Logically he knew he was panicking and that it would be of no use to him in this situation but at that moment logic seemed an unattainable goal._ _ _ _ _ _

______There was a ringing in his ears ...and someone talking? He tried to focus on the voice, use it to ground himself but it was so far away, although it sounded just as panicked as he was. He still couldn't breathe but the darkness was inviting and he felt himself fall over with what was almost, a sigh of relief._ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _

______"Oh Gods! Are you okay? Please don't be dead. Oh no. Oh no. Are you dead? I just heard a scream, I'm sorry!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Ashura kept his eyes shut as he woke up having learnt his lesson by then but it didn't help him make sense of the situation any better. There was someone else in the cave and he could hear them muttering to themselves. There was no way he was going to reveal his state of wakefulness to an unknown person especially when unconsciousness seemed to be granting him a respite from the torture. Nevertheless, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a warm hand was placed on his shoulder and then at his neck to check for a pulse. For some reason they kept up the monologue as they did so._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Okay, so there's a pulse. Good, he's alive. Uh, next check for injuries? No, first try and revive him  
If I can't _then _I look for head injuries and blood loss." They took a breath. "Okay, okay. You can do this. Bakashi could probably do this in his sleep. And Rin said not to shake the person, so water? Uh... suiton jutsus..."___ _ _ _ _ _

________They paused for a minute considering it. "Probably best not to try that."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The voice petered out as the owner left the cave, presumably to find water, leaving Ashura completely bewildered behind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The chakra signature identified them as the new arrival he had noticed but they hadn't been aware of his presence and did not seem to be a prisoner either. Did that mean that they were not connected to Madara and Zetsu?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He didn't open his eyes but when he sensed the person returning, he called out, "Who are you?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The footsteps stopped. "Oh you're awake. Um, I'm Uchiha Obito, chunnin of Konoha."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura's hopes, which had plummeted upon hearing the clan name, were raised again when Konoha was brought up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"What are you doing here?" He continued, suspiciously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Um, I was injured." The other began sheepishly. "And Madara healed me?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura couldn't contain the flinch at Madara's name and Obito seemed to pick up on that because he immediately rushed to reassure him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I don't trust him though! I mean the guy is a missing nin and tried to kill the Shodaime and then he keeps telling me about how the world is corrupt and everyone in it is terrible and now, well you." He paused, somewhat ashamedly. "I just mean that if he would kidnap a kid then he is clearly not a good guy. Not that I ever thought he was a good guy! Even the Uchiha hate him and he was out clan head! So, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. If you were wondering."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura's mind was whirling. After so long of limited human interaction, he was finding it odd to try to make sense of the rambling speech that had somehow been delivered all in the same breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Do you have the water?" It's the first thing that comes out of his mouth and he was too desperate to even cringe at his awkwardness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Thankfully Obito did, and it was soothing on his sore throat. He must have screamed out loud and not just in the Genjutsu then. Didn't Obito mention that he heard a scream and came to investigate? He used the remaining water to clean his wounds before upending the rest on his hair. It wouldn't clean it but at least it gave him some semblance of hygiene._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Can you open your eyes? Or do you have an injury too?" Obito spoke tentatively and it was all Ashura could do to not stiffen up immediately._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Too?" Ashura replied, partly to stall for time and partly out of curiosity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well I thought I was dying so I gave my right eye to a friend. I only have one right now."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura debated it. He didn't want to believe Obito was a trick of Madara's and he had to trust the other if he was going to convince him to help in his escape. On the other hand, he knew better than most the consequences of acting without thinking. More than any logical thought process, Obito reminded him of Ichigo and he felt his chest clench when he thought of the other. He didn't think he could survive someone like Ichigo betraying him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Do you have a Mangekyou Sharingan?" He ventured tentatively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"A what Sharingan?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Never mind." With that he gingerly opened his eyes cringing a bit at the little natural light that pervaded his sensitive eyes. He was still wary, waiting for the flash of crimson that proved he was a trusting fool but none was forthcoming._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Uchiha Obito was not as old as he had assumed, perhaps fourteen years but his scars seemed to age him. True to his words, he was missing an eye and had absurdly discoloured skin over the right side of his body. His hair and eyes were similar to Kagami sensei but he was grinning widely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hey!" He said, grinning wider. "Nice to see you?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He settled for a strangled sound that might have been either and perhaps echoing the sentiment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"So, what's your name?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura couldn't be bothered to think about what the Uchiha could do with his name. "Uzumaki Ashura."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"And I'm guessing you aren't staying here because of the hospitality?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ashura let out a watery chuckle. "Of course I am. Don't you know they let you pay with blood, sweat and tears. Emphasis on the blood and tears." He tried to inject sarcasm into his tone but he was sure it fell flat when Obito's face fell._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He shook his head. There was no time for sentiment or making friends. They had a brief window of time in which he would be able to escape and he ought not to be wasting it. It was absurdly easy to fall back into the familiar banter he shared with Arashi and Ichigo and he had spent so long without human interaction that the simple conversation was like water in a dessert to the Uzumaki._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"How did you get here?" Obito asked curiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I had information they needed. They decided to take it from me with force. Can you help me escape?" He asked bluntly not bothering to hide his sigh of relief when the older boy nodded sharply, looking almost offended that he had considered otherwise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He had spent so long coming up with the plan that it was almost laughable how easy he found his bindings removed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The manacle on his wrist was the first to go. A miniaturized explosion tag with a restrained blast radius was easy enough to draw when Obito manages to procure a kunai and when the other pulsed chakra through it, it snapped cleanly in two._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Obito was obviously impressed, looking at the carved seal with admiration but Ashura wasn't listening. He had kept halfbof his mind on his chakra sense. After the Tsukiyomi debacle earlier that day he wasn't taking any chances and in a stroke of bad luck, Madara's chakra signature was barrelling towards them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He cursed bitterly, feeling the beginning of frustrated tears form in the corner of his eyes. How unlucky did he have to be to have every flicker of hope so ruthlessly suppressed at every turn? It was needlessly cruel to allow him to raise his spirits before forcibly dragging them down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Close your eyes and whatever happens, don't open them okay? If he makes eye contact you're dead. When I tell you, pulse your chakra the same way you did for the explosion seal." He gritted his teeth as he gave orders to the older boy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He took a minute to check that the other was actually doing as he said before shutting his eyes and using his chakra sense to see for him. It was crude and in an actual battle, completely ineffectual but it would work for what he had in mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He slashed his palm and using the collected blood began to draw a seal on the chakra restraints, completing just as Madara entered the cave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Now!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The cuffs stood no chance and for the first time in many months Ashura felt his blocked tenketsu points open, leaving him giddy. His fingers were flying through familiar motions as they traced a larger version of the explosion seal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Fuuin." He intoned, suffusing the seal with chakra and directing it towards Madara. The satisfying grunt and thud as the other hit the wall sent a frisson of triumph through him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Unfortunately, his joy was short lived when the elder got up again, but instead of moving towards Ashura, he turned to the other boy, who was nearly vibrating in his place, eyes obediently shut. There was a curious flash of chakra in his hand that Ashura had not noticed but his jaw slackens in horror when it reveals itself to be a horrifyingly familiar seal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Obito, duck!" The binding seal just manages to avoid clipping his shoulder and Ashura can't help the turning of his shrunken stomach._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Binding seals or obedience seals as they had originally been christened were horrific examples of genius gone wrong. The creator had envisioned being able to ensure loyalty in all shinobi to the village, by taking on the seal. It quite literally bound their chakra to the will of their Kage and ensured they would never be able to use chakra against their Kage's will. Created originally to prevent missing nin, the terrifying implications meant that it was the one and only seal to be destroyed upon submission and banned from any Uzushio sealmasters books._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And now Madara was looking to use it in Obito. Kind, trusting Obito who had to talk himself into checking for wounds, who grinned like the sun and made jokes about losing his eye. Obito who reminded him of Ichigo so, so much._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He didn't think, didn't even realise he moved but before he blinked he had pushed Obito to the side and taken his place. He opened his eyes almost involuntarily and drew the most powerful barrier seal he knew between himself and the disgustingly drawn seal in Madara's hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Fuuin!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________If one was to ask Ashura, he would probably tell them of how he saw Obito, with his eyes wide open, staring at him in shock. He would probably tell them of how Madara's eyes were not even Sharingan red and narrowed in fury. He might hypothesise that the two seals had cancelled each other out and the chakra overflow had caused the explosion but at that moment all Ashura saw was the beautiful light blue of the barrier seal as it surrounded him, so similar to Uzushio's own protections and it felt like returning home. He almost smelt the soft, salty tang of the sea and the gentle swish of waves as they hugged the shores. His heart _ached _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Both he and Madara were blown backwards but luckily for him, his landing was softened by a bed of vines. Madara wasn't so lucky and he was thrown right out of the cave, landing heavily and not rising._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Doton- Doryuheki no jutsu!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Thankfully for Ashura's confused thought process, Obito had enough presence of mind to raise an earth wall between Madara and themselves. It would not hold indefinitely but it would do to give them some time to recover._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"I knew Bakashi was showing off. That is much easier than I thought it would be."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ashura just looks silently at the roof of the cave, too exhausted to try and get up from where he had fallen. So much had happened in such a short while and now that he had a minute to breathe, it threatened to boil over and overwhelm him. Obito looked back at him worriedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Ano, are...are you okay, Ashura kun?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The boy in question just nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Um, thanks for saving me from that...seal? You barely know me and still put youself in danger for me. So, thanks." He looked embarrassed but his tone spoke of sincerity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Obito san-"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Kun."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"What?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"If you're gonna add an honorific then use -kun. I'm only fourteen. I doubt that's much older than you."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"I think I'm ten or maybe I've turned eleven, I'm not too certain of the date. Anyway, what I meant to say was that you don't have to thank me." He stopped, debating if he ought to tell Obito what it was before deciding that he deserved to know what he had just escaped. "That seal, it's horrific." He shuddered. "There is no way I would have let you be _branded _with that disgusting slavery mark."___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________His tone soured just thinking about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Obito looked a bit sick at the vehemence in his tone but he obligingly changed the subject. "So you have any ideas on how to escape from here?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"A few." He replied distractedly. He absently unsealed a clean pair of clothes from the storage seal on his stomach, barely noticing as Obito's eyes widened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Woah. Was that Fuuinjutsu? Minato sensei is really good at it and I tried to learn too but Bakashi, that's the friend I gave my eye to, by the way, he distracted me with his summons. And anyway-"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________His rambling was cut off by the sharp intake of breath from Ashura. "You did what?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"I ...tried to learn Fuuinjutsu?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"No, after that. What did you do with your eye?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"I gave it to Kakashi? Look I thought I was dying and he had just lost an eye himself. It's not like mine were going to help me that much if I was dead!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"You gave away your eye."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Yes?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"To an ally."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"My teammate!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"That doesn't matter!" He waved dismissively. "What does matter however is that because of your absurd desire to give body parts as dying gifts, I finally have an idea." His own face parted in what must have been a deranged grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________When Obito blanched at the expression, he was abruptly reminded of his earlier thoughts on insanity. He almost laughed out loud at the thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Hope, he thought, as he began clearing the floor of the cave to draw a seal, is truly a wonderful, wonderful feeling. Hope was tomorrow and next week and a future where he could see himself and now that he had gotten a taste, he knew that he was addicted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	6. A Tomorrow that Might Mean Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> Would you look at that? It's a new chapter! As always the comment section is the home for like, dislikes and opinions. The kudos box is for my ego. Thank you and hope you
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Revenge won't see me raise my knives,  
> Fear won't force me to take a life,  
> Sorrow won't see me on the battle ground,  
> Death won't see my bloodlust bound,  
> Pain won't pair with killing intent,  
> Nor will anger see bodies rent,  
> But I will always fight my best,  
> When I'm defending someone else.

"Ashura kun?"

He looked up from where he was reinforcing the chakra wall with barrier seals. "Yes?"

Obito looked uncomfortable and vaguely ill but he soldiered on valiantly, "How long have you been here?"

"What's the date?"

"My mission was on December 10th, 62 years after Konoha. It must be 20th by now."

"Three months, fourteen days then." It was tricky, Ashura thought, because the Genjutsus made it seem so much longer. Not that he was going to tell Obito that. He didn't want his pity or sympathy and he certainly didn't want him to look at him differently. In Uzushio, his titles spoke for themselves and he wasn't underestimated, despite his age. He avoided eye contact, feigning concentration in the seals in hopes that Obito would take the hint. 

He limped over to the cleaned floor, his broken leg having been splinted by the older boy and it was all he could do to keep from groaning in pain. 

"So, what happened on your mission?" Ashura asked but when Obito hesitated, he rushed to reassure him. "If you don't want to talk about it or it's classified, you don't need to tell me. I just wondered about your ge...genin team."

"Oh! Yeah. There's Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi." Obito seemed to swell up with indignation. "Bakashi is stuck up, arrogant and acts like he doesn't care about Rin chan and me! He always wears a mask and I've never seen his face even though I've been on his team for five years! He always makes fun of me and never wants to spar because he thinks I'm not good enough for him. He only cares about the shinobi rules and is always going on about how a shinobi must have no emotions."

He paused then, a trace of wistful longing in his eyes. "But when we needed him to help, he did. He is amazing at Ninjutsu and always wins our spars. I told him to protect Rin chan, you know? I was ready to die knowing that she would be safe if he looked after her."

"Rin chan's my other teammate. She is a medic and really nice and kind. Even when I'm late she always waits for me and when I was sick, she made me soup. She's really pretty too but when she is healing someone she is always so determined." 

He blushed a bit and Ashura couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips at the boy's endearing expression. There was something heartwarming about his genuine emotions as he spoke about the people who clearly meant a lot to him. A touch of wistfulness, affection and hope. 

"Your jounin sensei is Namikaze Minato, right?"

"Yeah!" Obito's smile grew impossibly wider. "He's one of the strongest shinobi in the village but he's actually really goofy and gets flustered very easily. He treats us to ramen sometimes but only when Kushina nee chan is away on a mission because he can't afford to pay for her as well." 

"Kushina," he hesitated, "As in Uzumaki Kushina?"

"Yeah. They're dating but I think Kushina nee chan just likes watching Minato sensei turn red when she denies it."

Ashura isn't paying attention to Obito any more, as the implications of his words set in. He hadn't met Kushina san before she left for Konoha, having still been an infant but she was an Uzumaki. She was the smallest piece of Uzushio that had managed to escape the destruction. She was family and maybe, if he was lucky enough to escape this hellhole of a cave, he might be able to see her.

"What about your genin team? I told you all about mine, what about yours. Oh, and which village are you from? I didn't even think about asking that and you weren't wearing a hitai-ate."

Just like that, Ashura's blood froze. He had been avoiding the elephant in the room for more than a month, turning his attention to escape plans and seals and anything and everything that wasn't Uzushio or her destruction. Distantly, he heard himself say, "Uzushiogakure no Sato. I was a shinobi of Uzushio."

Of course Obito caught the tense and made the worst assumption possible, his voice disapproving, "What do you mean, 'was'? Are you a missing nin? Is that why you don't wear a hitai-ate, because you betrayed your village?"

"Don't." Ashura whispered, words failing him through the self loathing that threatened to choke him. "Don't ever say that I am not loyal to Uzushio. I would die a hundred deaths before I dared to consider betrayal."

He didn't attempt to stop the tears that slid down his gaunt cheeks. It was silent weeping, not like the noisy sobs that threatened to break him with the painful shudders. These were the tears of someone who was just so tired of holding on for so long with no respite forthcoming. Who had nothing to return to and everything to mourn. No reason to live beyond loyalty to those long dead and a pride that is now so battered, it's a miracle he still holds his head up. A shattered child, orphaned, homeless and helpless.

"My village was destroyed three months and fifteen days ago. There were no survivors." He didn't say anything else and it seemed he wouldn't have to because beyond a choked apology from the horrified Obito, the latter stayed silent, cheeks still flushed in shame.

They worked silently, using water from a Suiton jutsu to wash the floor of the cave but after a few minutes of silence, Ashura couldn't stand it.

"I was too young to graduate the academy and go on serious missions, despite being trained enough so I trained with my best friends and performed D ranks instead as a makeshift genin team."

Obito looked up in surprise when he started speaking.

"When I graduated earlier than them, they tried to put me in a genin team but I intentionally failed the jounin sensei's test so that we could continue being a team. They were twins and could fight amazingly together so they were put on the same team and we bribed the other genin to leave, so I could join."

It had been unethical and had Ashura not been the son of the Uzukage, he could have gotten into serious trouble and it was a stroke of pure luck that it all ended up fine in the end. As it was, their team was benched and forced to complete additional D ranks as punishment. Amahiko had _not _been happy with his son that day and had made no secret of the fact.__

__"Their names were Ichigo and Arashi and they hated that they did not look identical. They both loved playing pranks but went about it in completely different ways. Arashi was cunning. He would play pranks and get Ichigo in trouble by pretending to be innocent. Ichigo on the other hand loved the attention and took credit for all his ideas. He would take Arashi's punishment as well even though he hated it._ _

__They started bukijutsu because they thought that Fuuinjutsu was too boring and they ended up loving it even though they could barely find any instructors. When we were finally allowed to go on a C rank, they forgot to carry anything other than their weapons. Our jounin sensei was furious with them."_ _

__Ashura finally looked at Obito, who has a devastated expression on his face. He clearly understood what had happened to them because he didn't ask._ _

__"You remind me of Ichigo, you know? He used to flail like you when he got embarrassed." Ashura continued slyly letting out a small chuckle when Obito's subsequent flailing only confirmed the statement._ _

__The silence was less tense this time, nearly comfortable until Ashura finished carving his seals with a satisfied groan._ _

__"That should hold for at least a few days until we escape."_ _

__"You haven't yet told me about your brilliant plan, you know." Obito said, still looking a bit disgruntled at being teased._ _

__Ashura absently stared at the ground, mentally cataloging the area he had to draw the seal._ _

__"You're familiar with the Hiraishin, right?"_ _

__"Minato sensei's Jutsu?"_ _

__"Yeah. It basically works by opening a dimensional tunnel from one chakra signature to another. That's what Namikaze san and to an extent Senju sama managed to do with their special kunai." He pulled out the kunai he had stored in his seal before Uzushio's fall. "The covering as you see is chakra conducting and what they do is suffuse it with enough chakra that it becomes practically a homing beacon for the opening of a dimensional tunnel."_ _

__"What I'm trying to do here is make a connection between your eye and the chakra in your system right now. I'm going to draw the seal with your blood to allow me to make a connection as well."_ _

__He tried not to sigh at Obito's lost expression. "Basically I'm going to create a modified Hiraishin seal using your eye as the kunai that Namikaze san uses. As long as I am making direct contact with the seal, I should be transported as well."_ _

__"Okayyyy... so we'll land wherever Bakashi is?"_ _

__"Yes." Ashura said, as Obito sliced his palm and began drawing the seal. It was very similar to the original Hiraishin with the only modifications being the component to tie it to the chakra in the blood and Obito as opposed to just the user so that he could be transported too. It didn't take that long and within a few minutes, he was done and instructing Obito to pulse chakra through it._ _

__He watched with bated breath, as the seal flared golden blue, waiting for the uncomfortable sensation of the Hiraishin. The glow pulsed erratically but nothing happened and when it finally died down, Ashura was completely befuddled as to why it had failed._ _

__"What happened?" Obito asked, coming over to look at the seal over Ashura's shoulder._ _

__"It's like there was no matching signature. I don't understand! The seal is perfect and the theory is sound but it's acting like it's incomplete!"_ _

__Almost unbidden, his mind flashed back to the moment when Madara had stolen his ability to draw seals and he couldn't help the irrational fear that that was the case here. Seals were his forte! He was an Uzushio sealmaster! What could he have done wrong?_ _

__"Minato sensei told us to pulse chakra into the kunai he gave us. Doesn't that mean that Kakashi needs to do the same?"_ _

__Ashura turned to look at Obito incredulously. "You're brilliant." He said, completely sincerely before his expression fell. "But that means that until your friend uses your eye, we are going to be stuck here and that wall protecting us from Madara isn't going to last longer than a couple of days, not even considering the much more immediate problem of food."_ _

__He let his head fall back against the wall with a dull thump and tried not to let his frustration show on his face, not wanting to take it out on Obito but the feeling of stifled euphoria was devastating. Obito seemed to agree with his desolation as he mirrored the pose beside him._ _

__"I should have emergency rations in my storage seal but it won't last more than two days." Ashura replied to the other's unasked question. "As for water, I can try and leach some from the ground with Suiton jutsus. Thankfully it's mud and not rock because I'm not as good as Senju Tobirama, to condense water from the air. If the seal doesn't activate before Madara gets in, I'll use a seal to hide you with the Hiraishin and let him assume you escaped. When it does activate, you will be transported safely."_ _

__Obito frowned at him in consternation. "You are escaping with me. I'm not leaving you here."_ _

__"I'll keep contact with the seal, as well." He promised. "When it's activated, I'll escape too."_ _

__He didn't tell Obito that Madara would likely move him somewhere else the moment he broke through and he might not have enough chakra after powering so many seals. He didn't tell Obito that if he was in the throes of a Genjutsu, he would likely be unable to move freely. He didn't tell Obito that Madara was smart enough to realise that a room bound in chakra seals was likely still trapped. He didn't tell Obito any of this when he smiled, small but genuine to match the older boy's enormous grin and tried not to feel too guilty.  
_______________________________________________________ _

__It was nearly their fourth day under siege when they ran out of food even with Ashura's careful attempts to reduce his own intake. The wall was still holding strong, but when he asked Obito to take a look at it through his Sharingan, while he pointedly looked away, he reported that there was barely any chakra holding it up._ _

__He began drawing the seal on Obito, to keep their mind off of their grumbling stomachs, spending an excessive amount of time, ensuring it was perfect. It was probably overkill but the earlier debacle with the Hiraishin was still weighing on his mind._ _

__"The seal will work as long as you don't do anything to draw attention to you or the Hiraishin seal. That means no charging in, no matter what you see or hear, understood?"_ _

__Obito clearly wasn't happy but nodded regardless, standing motionless along with as much water as Ashura could fill into a container. If the seal took longer to activate, there was nothing more that Ashura could do. With a final nod, he activated the seal and watched as he disappeared into the cave wall._ _

__He let one hand touch the seal before laying down. Sleep was an enemy he couldn't fight and eventually he succumbed to it._ _

__He was barely granted a few hours rest before a furious spike of chakra shattered the wall. He didn't move from his position, prone on the ground, his heart pounding even as his eyes remained closed._ _

__"Where is the Uchiha, brat?"_ _

__"Gone." Ashura said, as steadily as he could._ _

__"What did you do to him?" Ashura felt himself tremble at the killing intent that permeated the air._ _

__"No...thing! He es...caped!"_ _

__"Do not lie. You Uzumaki are all the same! Zetsu was right all along. You are just like the rest of your accursed clan!"_ _

__Ashura felt his own temper rise. He could tolerate tortures to his body and insults to his person but his clan was sacred. He had barely raised his head from the ground when he felt the shinobi's sandal crush his jaw into the ground._ _

__"I will not let you escape again, you little brat. Amaterasu!"_ _

__Ashura thought he knew pain. He had been subject to increasingly ingenuous tortures in the last few months. He had had bones broken, burns irritated, salt rubbed in cuts and lightning coursing through his nerves but he had never felt pain quite like this one. His eyes snapped open as did his mouth but screaming was beyond him. His arm was engulfed in charcoal black flames that seemed to devour the flesh in an instant. In that moment he truly wanted to die._ _

__Just as suddenly, the black flames receded leaving him staring at the activated Mangekyou Sharingan of Uchiha Madara. His trademark Uchiha blank expression was replaced by a bloodthirsty smirk that chilled Ashura to the bones and his eyes glinted with a sick fury. He looked insane._ _

__"You will receive no more chances. For too long have I let sentiment cloud my mind, Uzumaki, you will yeild or you will die."_ _

__"I would choose death a thousand times over before yeilding to you. My people, my village, they will have my loyalty and they will witness my death."_ _

__"Amat-"_ _

__The horrifying jutsu is interrupted by the intense glowing of the seal that spans the floor and it's all Ashura can do to push himself to let the smallest part of his finger touch the seal before he finally feels the pull of the dimensional tunnel. His last sight is that of Uchiha Madara's furious visage as he is whisked away, finally from the prison he had inhabited so unwillingly for so long._ _

_________________________________________________________ _

__"Raiton- Chidori no jutsu."_ _

__Both Obito and Ashura had expected to land in the middle of a battlefield. There was little chance of Kakashi using Obito's eye for anything other than a fight but he was pretty certain that neither of them expected to have to defend against the same friend almost immediately. Or more accurately to have to defend against a lightning wreathed hand, chirping like a thousand birds._ _

__Kakashi's eyes widened as he tried to draw his fist back but his momentum forced him to follow the path. Ashura himself tensed, barrier seal already beginning to be drawn but the sudden appearance of the girl threw him off. She was scratched and bruised but didn't seem too injured, purple clan markings stark against her cheeks._ _

__It was Obito's choked cry of, "Rin", that forced him to pull the suicidal girl behind him, screaming in pain as the open wound of his arm was brushed against. Thankfully, barrier seals were ingrained into his muscle memory enough that it flared up just in time to absorb the lightning technique, obscuring the face of its user for a few minutes._ _

__It gave Ashura time to take in the surrounding battle. Their didn't seem to be any more Konoha shinobi besides the two who were presumably Obito's teammates. They were surrounded by four shinobi, all wearing hitai-ate Ashura had last seen during Uzushio's fall._ _

__Kiri shinobi._ _

__Ashura's pulse raced and he felt his chakra gather to his fingers but he stayed his offence beyond a single kick that took out the shinobi attempting to attack Obito._ _

__"O-Obito?" Kakashi's incredulous voice cut through the last of the barrier seal. "Is that ...are you real?"_ _

__"Bakashi." Obito returned letting his trademark grin stretch across his face. "I see you put my gift to good use."_ _

__He was still holding a tearful Rin but the moment he let go of the girl she threw her arms around the Uchiha burying her face in his shoulder._ _

__"Hatake san." Ashura cut in before the reunion went on further. "May I borrow a kunai?"_ _

__Kakashi was still slightly dazed because he didn't seem to question the idea of arming an unknown and Ashura was glad for it, gripping the kunai in his non injured hand._ _

__"Forgive me for the crimes I commit towards you. I will make it as swift as I can."_ _

__The seals were already glowing in the air as the trademark spinning cyclone swelled around Ashura. It was harder than usual to force the wind to avoid the three Konoha shinobi but Ashura wasn't going to let them get injured._ _

__The mist nin were fighting to keep their balance but as Ashura forced chakra into the seal the increasing strength of the winds brought them onto his blade where he killed them quickly and silently, bowing his head in respect once the wind dissipated._ _

__"Are you all okay?" He said, turning to Obito and his teammates._ _

__"Am I- " Obito choked. "Ashura! Are you okay?!"_ _

__It was like a switch had been flipped and Ashura felt the adrenaline that he had fought with, abandon him and the lightning strikes of pain in his burnt arm, return with a vengeance. He dropped the kunai when black spots danced against his vision._ _

__His stomach roiled and he turned to the side, retching uncontrollably, not even water coming up when he tried to vomit. He was aware, rather distantly, of Obito rubbing his back, carefully avoiding his arm. He thought he might be talking but whatever it was must've been for his teammates ears._ _

__Finally, he was able to gain enough control over his body to wipe his trembling lips. He didn't dare stand up, but he knew enough to only take small sips of the water that was offered to him. Slowly he was becoming more aware of the conversation going on around him._ _

__"Where's Minato sensei?"_ _

__"Coming. I threw his Hiraishin kunai."_ _

__"We need to get back to Konoha-"_ _

__"No!" The interruption was from Rin, who was very pointedly not looking at either Obito or Kakashi._ _

__"Rin, he was tortured!" Obito's voice was furious and maybe the smallest bit hurt that Rin was disagreeing with him._ _

__"I can't go back to Konoha! I'm a weapon! They'll destroy Konoha!" Rin's voice was high pitched and terrified but her choice of words intrigued Ashura even more. A weapon? It was an oddly specific and maybe even a slightly familiar way of describing herself._ _

__"Look we'll wait for Minato sensei to come and let him take a decision." Kakashi seemed to be the only one managing to keep a level head about the situation and at that moment Ashura was grateful to him for it._ _

__"I concur with Hatake san." Ashura rasped out through his sore throat, causing the other three to look at him in surprise. "Namikaze san is the most qualified to make such a decision. As it is, other than Obito kun, none of you know me."_ _

__Obito looked mutinous at his words, Kakashi, slightly calculating and Rin just heaved a sigh of relief._ _

__"You saved my life, you hear me? You're not allowed to die before I at least show you how grateful I am." Obito said as Ashura's eyes begun to close._ _

__"No thanks." Ashura said, trying to smile faintly. "Your idea of gratitude is giving out free body parts. Terribly difficult to maintain."_ _

__"Isn't it?" Surprisingly it was Kakashi who replied. "Massive chakra drain and the colour really clashes with my hair."_ _

__Ashura managed a weak laugh when Obito stared incredulously at his teammate, probably amazed that he had made a joke._ _

__Ashura let his head lean on the arm holding him up. "And now you are flailing again." Obito yelped in annoyance._ _

__His eyes were gradually closing, pain mounting but he forced himself to stay awake. They were still in hostile territory, although they had now shifted to a more secluded area with a good cover of trees, and him being out of commission would do no one any favours._ _

__There was a bright flash of yellow that Ashura recognised immediately as the Hiraishin and another chakra signature entered their makeshift shelter._ _

__"Minato sensei!" Obito's delighted cry stopped the new arrival in his steps._ _

__The jounin's expression seemed to cycle through a several emotions from shock, disbelief, sorrow and finally a tentative hope before disappearing behind a blank mask._ _

__"Identify yourself, shinobi." He said ._ _

__Obito snapped to attention, "Uchiha Obito, chunnin number 40024."_ _

__"Parameters of the Kanabi Bridge Mission."_ _

__"Minato sensei-"_ _

__"Answer the question!" He barked sharply._ _

__Obito looked hurt but complied. "To destroy or damage beyond repair, the Kanabi Bridge in order to prevent passage of Iwa forces across it. Mission was successful."_ _

__He had barely finished the statement when he is crushed into a hug by Minato, his eyes misting over with tears. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so glad you're alright. Thank god."_ _

__Surprisingly it was Obito who pushed out of the embrace first, whispering in his teacher's ear as he gestured towards the red haired boy sitting on the ground._ _

__Ashura forced himself to stand, urging his shaky limbs to support his weight while he bowed shallowly._ _

__"Uzumaki Ashura, Namikaze san. I seek asylum from Konoha," He swallowed heavily._ _

__It was a long shot, especially in war time but he was hoping that Konoha would feel guilty enough that they had let their ally fall._ _

__"Ashura, the late Uzukage's son?_ _

__He nodded._ _

__"I'm sorry, Ashura kun." And here Ashura had to grit his teeth at the patronising honorific. "I can't speak for the Hokage but at the very least you will have to be sent to T &I and a mindwalk before any kind of decision is made."_ _

__Ashura's blood chilled but he nodded resolutely. "I understand Namizake san-"_ _

__He was interrupted by Obito's furious voice. "You can't send him to T &I, Minato sensei! He saved my life! And Rin's! And probably Kakashi's as well when he killed the Kiri nin!"_ _

__He whirled around to look at Ashura. "And you! You were just tortured by _Uchiha Madara _and I just watched! I'm not letting a kid get tortured again if I can help it."___ _

____Minato inhaled audibly and Rin let out a sort of strangled whimper. Even Kakashi's eyes widened in horror._ _ _ _

____Ashura tamped down on his irritation at being called a kid. "If you would let me finish, Obito, I would rescind my request. I can't afford a Yamanaka mind walk."_ _ _ _

____"And why is that Ashura kun?" Minato asked suspiciously._ _ _ _

____He glared coldly at the jounin. "I'm the last surviving Uzushio shinobi. I bear her legacy and history in addition to being one of the Uzu sealmasters. I hold too many secrets to open my mind to someone I do not trust."_ _ _ _

____"So be it. We'll move towards Konoha then."_ _ _ _

____Obito looked helplessly between the two of them, "Ashura kun, you are injured! Where do you plan to go, anyway?"_ _ _ _

____"I'll stay here for a day and move towards Uzushio after. I'll," he gulped, trying not to look worried, "I'll stay in Uzushio."_ _ _ _

____Obito opened his mouth to argue but Kakashi interrupted, "Minato sensei, why doesn't he go through the questioning that clan heads are subject to? His clan secrets will be protected while ensuring his loyalty."_ _ _ _

____Minato looked up from where he was trying to talk to an increasingly distraught Rin. "That requires two jounin to vouch for him and as a non resident of Konoha, it's unlikely to happen." He turned back to the kunoichi. "Rin chan. You need to explain what happened. I need to take you back to Konoha to treat whatever injuries you have."_ _ _ _

____She shook her head adamantly. "It's a weapon. It'll destroy Konoha. I can't go back!" She lifted her shirt slightly to allow a seal to briefly flash into existence but it was long enough that Minato let out a harsh exhale._ _ _ _

____"Jinchuuriki. The Sanbi if I'm not mistaken."_ _ _ _

____Ashura's heart bled for the girl. Forced to become a Jinchuuriki and probably with some sort of temporary seal that would cause it to break down once they reach Konoha based on what she was saying. It shouldn't be too hard for Minato to break it but the Sanbi belonged to Kiri by treaty. If nothing else, they would have to hand the girl over to Kiri where they would probably kill her themselves and the only way to safely separate a Jinchuuriki from their Bijuu was currently in Ashura's hands._ _ _ _

____Minato seemed to have come to the same conclusion because his mouth had flattened into a grim line. Gone was the affable jounin, here was the Yellow Flash, one of the few to have a flee on sight order in the Bingo Books._ _ _ _

____"What happened, Minato sensei?" Kakashi asked worriedly._ _ _ _

____His teacher ignored him. "For now, I'm going to seal it permanently to prevent it from breaking out when we reach Konoha. After that..." His voice trailed off._ _ _ _

____Ashura may have hated his political lessons but he could still put them to use._ _ _ _

____"Namikaze san. I have a seal that can safely remove the Bijuu from a Jinchuuriki."_ _ _ _

____Minato turned around so quickly, he nearly overbalanced. "Where did you get it?"_ _ _ _

____"I designed it for my mastery but changed it at the last minute. I can show you the base to see that it's safe but I won't show you the whole seal. In return, you promise me safe return to Konoha as I will be unable to defend myself after using this much chakra and be one of the jounin to vouch for the questioning instead of the mindwalk."_ _ _ _

____"You will still have to find another jounin and you won't be exempt from T &I, you understand that right?"_ _ _ _

____Ashura nodded. Hopefully Kagami sensei was still in Konoha and would be the other jounin to vouch for him. As for T &I, well he had already undergone torture once. At his nod however, Obito grabbed him in a hug, not saying anything when Ashura flinched violently, whispering gratefully in his ear. _ _ _ _

____Carefully, he sketched out the base structure of the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal. It seemed almost surreal, after being told to keep it hidden and then spending so long trying to keep it from Madara, to be drawing it for someone else to see it, even if it was just the base structure._ _ _ _

____When he finished, he handed it over to the jounin, who was changing the temporary seal on his student to a permanent one. As he looked over Ashura's work, his eyebrows rose higher and higher until he turned to the boy, incredulously. "This is incredible. I can't believe you actually created this at such a young age. Obviously I can't make out much further but the base atleast will not do any harm."_ _ _ _

____"Nohara san." Ashura began, walking over to wear the frightened girl was seated, her cheeks still tear-stained. "I'm going to draw the seal over the one already present, alright? You won't feel any pain until I activate it although with a few strokes you may feel my chakra infusing into it. I promise you I won't do any harm." She nodded at him, looking determined._ _ _ _

____He turned to the boys. "Hatake san, Obito kun, I need you two to hold her down once I activate the seal. You need to ensure that she doesn't move while the Bijuu is being removed."_ _ _ _

____The didn't say anything, simply taking their places beside their teammate._ _ _ _

____Ashura himself unsealed his Fuuinjutsu kit, knowing that it would be safer to use ink for such a finicky seal, and on a whim, unsealed his Uzushio hitai-ate as well. The familiar weight around his neck grounded him as he began to draw._ _ _ _

____After nearly an hour, he was done, fingers trembling with chakra exhaustion and fatigue but he lay a palm on the seal and spoke, as he infused the kunoichi's stomach with as much chakra as he could manage._ _ _ _

____"Fuuin!"_ _ _ _

____Minato Namikaze had never seen Fuuinjutsu performed by a sealmaster. Both his teacher, Jiraiya and himself were fairly acclaimed, his ability to reinvent the Hiraishin was testament to that. Nevertheless he couldn't help but stare at the smooth, strokes the boy made, never faltering even when he had to infuse the ink with chakra. The seal itself, he doubted he could have understood much less created at that age although he respectfully kept his distance, knowing the trust the Uzumaki was putting in him and his team by even revealing the existence of such a dangerous seal._ _ _ _

____Kushina had only enjoyed the very basic sealing lessons before moving to Konoha and having not seen her village in over a dozen years, it wasn't surprising that although she had been upset at its destruction, she had not had much to mourn unlike Uzumaki Ashura. As son of the Uzukage and apparantly sealmaster, he had clearly lost too many people close to him, perhaps even been in the thick of things if his abilities were any indicator. As if that was not enough, he had gathered from Obito's words that the boy had been tortured as well. By Uchiha Madara, if he was to be believed, and wasn't that a whole other can of worms?_ _ _ _

____If his vouching for Ashura to avoid the mindwalk would help the boy, he was willing to do it but there were very few jounin who would put their own reputation on the line for an unknown even an Uzumaki but for the sake of the orphaned boy with green eyes of pain, his own consciousness would not let him do any different._ _ _ _

____When the activated seal released a mass of chakra so vast into the night sky, before disipitating safely, revealing a panting but still alive Rin, that Minato could see was no longer a Jinchuuriki, he couldn't help but hope that this was a turn for the better, a chance for Uzumaki Ashura to leave pain behind._ _ _ _

____Watching him hold the Uzushio hitai-ate around his neck in scarred and trembling hands, he noticed the boy's stark white face and glassy, unfocused eyes. When the boy collapsed, his chakra levels dangerously low, his body limp and head lolling but fingers still clutched in a death grip around the last piece of home he could find, Minato knew that home was something the boy had lost irreversibly._ _ _ _

____But perhaps, in time, Konoha could be a safe house for him even if it was never a home._ _ _ _


	7. Adjusting to Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> Chapter 7 has finally arrived. She (yes, I'm anthropomorphising my chapters) will be taking your likes, dislikes and opinions in the aptly named comments box. Kudos are welcome in all circumstances. As always, I hope that you,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Hope, I learned,  
>  Hurt and burned,  
>  But freedom, I found,  
>  Was worth all the hurt.
> 
> And when I tasted,  
>  The freedom I'd wasted,  
>  I learned what hope,  
>  And freedom were based in.

Ashura's first glimpse of Konoha was the ceiling of a hospital room. He wasn't surprised that he had collapsed after activating the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal, he had sensed his own chakra levels dropping dangerously, but he was rather curious as to why he was in a hospital instead of a holding cell. Surely his status as a possibly hostile unknown merited more than the pristine walls of a hospital room. His musings however, were interrupted by the entrance of a medic nin, clad in a starched green apron.

"Good morning, Uzumaki kun. You are in Konoha and the date is 28th December, 62 years after Konoha. You have been asleep for three days due to chakra drainage and exhaustion. You are safe." She kept her hands above her head and spread apart to show her absence of weapons.

"Thank you...?"

"Nohara Mio."

"Thank you Nohara san. Are you related to Nohara Rin?"

"Yes I am and I cannot thank you enough for saving her. She might not be able to tell me a lot but from what she does, I have to express my gratitude."

Ashura just nodded his head in acknowledgement, not knowing what to say in the face of such genuine sentiment. He was in a shinobi hospital apparently, the words spoken by Nohara san having been for the benefit of shinobi used to waking up in hostile locations and the way she held her hands in surrender was to show the difficulty she would have in making hand seals, a purely shinobi gesture.

"Do you feel any pain, Uzumaki kun?"

Ashura took a moment to catalogue his body's condition. It was a foreign feeling to feel no twinges of pain across his torso but his arm, the one that had been the recipient of Madara's latest jutsu was still burning as excruciatingly as it had been since he had escaped and he told the medic nin as such.

"And you have had no further injuries on that arm?"

"None that I was conscious for."

She lay a glowing green hand over the shoulder causing Ashura to hiss at the contact but even the iryo Ninjutsu couldn't do anything. 

"What was the jutsu used?"

"I think it might be a specialised Uchiha technique."

She looked up sharply from where she was studying the wound. "Obito wouldn't-"

Ashura rushed to correct her. "No! No! The person I was captured by had a Sharingan."

"Oh." She looked relieved and maybe, slightly guilty that she had suspected Obito.

Ashura did not tell the name of the jutsu, knowing that if it was in fact, an Uchiha technique, they would not appreciate knowledge of its existance being spread around.

"The burn has scarred over and there is a clear indentation of the flesh that was burnt away. The only way there should be pain is if there was a poison on a blade you came in contact with. Nevertheless, I'll try and speak to an Uchiha who might know something else."

"Besides your arm, you had a broken leg, two cracked ribs, multiple burns and bruises, a severe concussion, dehydration, malnutrition and physical and chakra exhaustion. I think we have got all the injuries and dealt with the dehydration. I know eating full sized meals may seem a bit too much right now but as long as it is simple and plain food, I'd recommend you try to slowly increase your intake, understood?"

Her glare was so reminiscent of Tsuna nee san that Obito almost laughed out loud. Medics were more terrifying than Bijuu, he recalled telling her, and wasn't that a true statement? Which reminded him,

"How's Rin san? Is her chakra control all right?"

Nohara san looked sharply at him. "There are very few things that affect chakra control, Uzumaki kun. Rin's iryo Ninjutsu was fine last I checked but I'm beginning to think I'm glad this mission was sealed."

"What about Obito kun?

"Causing a huge stir by being alive, last I saw. That's another thing I have to thank you for, he says. The Uchiha are up in arms for him to take back his eye from Kakashi kun but he is just revelling in the mayhem." She shook her head amusedly.

"It's good to have him back." She said, softly. 

Ashura lets the small smile make its way into his face. Obito had that kind of infectious personality that wormed its way into your heart.

Exactly like Ichigo, his traitorous mind commented. He ignored it with practised ease.

"Alright, then!" The medic nin began, clapping her hands together. Other than your arm and the scars that I'm afraid I can't heal, I've done as much as I could. I'll send someone in with lunch and some painkillers for your arm. After that I'm told you have an appointment with the Hokage in his office so I will be back then, okay?"

Ashura could see beneath her cheery expression to her worry beneath and he tried his best to placate it with a small smile. "That's fine, Nohara san. And you can call me by my given name if you want."

"The same goes for you then, Ashura kun." She said, her face softening slightly. "I'll see you after lunch."

She left, closing the door quietly behind her and Ashura let out a quiet moan at the pain flaring across his arm. It was his left hand thankfully and he could still draw seals but he wasn't sure he could deal with the pain for much longer. 

More importantly he had to find Kagami sensei and hope that he would vouch for him when the time came. The meeting with the Hokage would go much better if he was sure that he wouldn't have to undergo a mindwalk. Absently he let his chakra sense out finding Obito's familiar signature amidst the lightning natured Hatake and another fire natured signature, perhaps another Uchiha? He picked up the cooler water natured signature of his medic and the hundreds of shinobi around him. He felt himself relax at the vitality of the village, taking comfort in the thousands of lives around him, breathing as he did.

He had been to Konoha only once, as an infant to meet Uzumaki-Senju Mito sama but he obviously didn't remember it. Kagami sensei had told him that it was bigger than Uzushio but he hadn't been able to wrap his head around it. Uzushio at the time of her destruction, had serviced four hundred and seventy shinobi and twenty four children of academy level or below. Konoha on the other hand had more than two thousand shinobi and was the largest great village in terms of manpower. In addition to the shinobi population, there were also more than one thousand civilians and children. The numbers were staggering and until Ashura actually saw the proof, he couldn't quite understand just how different that was. 

He spent the morning dozing, until lunch was brought in, of which he obligingly ate as much as he could stomach but it was a pitifully small amount and his nerves at the meeting after, did not do his appetite any favours. Thankfully when Mio saw him after lunch she did not pay much attention to his nearly full tray instead launching immediately into a round of questioning about his arm only to be disappointed when he couldn't describe it as anything other than a constant burning.

Nevertheless, she helped him into a fresh pair of clothes, one with the Uzushio spiral and helped him tie his hair into a high ponytail. His hitai-ate went round his neck, a comforting weight and finally he felt ready. He was met at the Hokage tower by a bear faced ANBU, who flared his chakra to announce their arrival before letting his charge inside the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not nearly as intimidating as his titles made him seem. The God of Shinobi was a white bearded man, his skin resplendent with wrinkles and his wizened face wreathed in white smoke from the pipe he held between his lips. He wore the white and red Hokage robes and the square brimmed hat that accompanied his title. 

Privately, Ashura thought that his father had made a much more fitting picture of a Kage with his broad shoulders and scarred cheeks, clad in the turquoise and azure cloak of his station and he couldn't help the brief flare of jealousy that this man had managed to survive what his father had not.

He tamped down on the emotion and schooled his face into a blank expression. He bowed low and respectfully to the elder.

"Hokage sama, I am Uzumaki Ashura", he swallowed heavily before continuing, "former shinobi of Uzushiogakure no Sato. I request asylum in Konoha." His eyes burned and he grit his teeth to keep from weeping at officially giving up his status as an Uzushio shinobi. He knew that it was a necessity and his people wouldn't begrudge him what he did but it still felt like a betrayal of the highest order.

"I'm glad to make the acquaintance of one of Uzushio's sealmasters even if I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Your request will be taken into consideration as will your answers under questioning, as I have been informed you wish to undergo, by jounin Namikaze Minato.

"Yes Hokage sama."

"You will be required to tell of the circumstances behind your survival as well as recount as much of the battle as you can. I only inform you of this to let you know that some unfortunate memories might be unearthed and you will have to be prepared as such."

Ashura thought of how Madara had made him watch every part of the battle as if he was there. How he knew exactly how each and every shinobi died. How Madara had certainly not cared if 'unfortunate memories' were brought up. He thought of how every memory of Uzushio was bathed in blood and smiled bitterly at the God of Shinobi.

"Believe me, Hokage sama, that will not be a problem."

Perhaps the wizened old shinobi understood or perhaps he thought he would get to know his reasons at the questioning but he did not pursue the matter beyond a brief acknowledgement.

"Jounin Namikaze Minato has agreed to vouch for you but you need another to do so in order to bypass the mindwalk as a clan head."

"I would like Uchiha Kagami to be informed of my presence here. I would ask him to be the second jounin to vouch for me."

The Hokage looked slightly surprised. "Ah! The former diplomat to Uzushio. I gather you met him when he visited?"

"Yes, Hokage sama."

The man made a few hand gestures and an ANBU appeared to kneel before him. "Find Uchiha Kagami and let him know that his presence is required at my office."

Ashura watched as the ANBU sketched a smart salute before leaving through the open window. His arm was beginning to ache again, the brief respite the painkillers provided, having lasted for only an hour, but he forced himself to keep the pain off his face.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Uzumaki kun. I knew Amahiko and a few other Uzushio shinobi and I mourned their loss with her fall."

"Thank you for the sentiment." Ashura replied shortly, not wanting to say anything further and the office devolved back into silence until Kagami arrived.

Unlike the ANBU, he came in through the door, his salt and pepper hair bound with a strip of leather. He looked older than Ashura remembered, his wrinkles more prominent and his eyes more pained. He did not see Ashura when he entered, his eyes on his Kage, but a lifetime of shinobi reflexes meant that immediately after he greeted Hiruzen, his eyes were swinging around to the third person in the room.

His eyes widened, the faintest hint of tears framing the dark pupils when he choked out, "Ashura?"

"Kagami sensei." Ashura breathed, his own tears, those of relief falling down his cheeks. "I missed you."

If there ever was an understatement, it was that one. Ashura didn't think he had ever realised just how much he relied on the adults around him until they were gone. His father and Kagami sensei had been the most important and without either Ashura had been forced to carry himself. When he saw Kagami then, he felt his self erected walls collapse and he was a boy again, not the last Uzushio shinobi, not the last great sealmaster, not the Bleeding Angel, but Ashura once again and he wept into his teacher's shoulder as the man cradled his head. He felt the other's shudders as they wept together for the friends they knew no more and the home they left behind.

"I'm sorry, Kagami sensei, I let them die. I couldn't fight and I had to save the seals when Father told me too. I wasn't even on the battlefield and they all di...ied!" His voice broke on the last word, his mind flashing back to the funeral pyre that burned taller than him. The funeral pyre that he had lit. "I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Kagami held him as he cried, treating him as the child he was and not the shinobi they had made him, rubbing his back until he calmed down enough to realise where he was.

When he did, he couldn't help the hot flush of embarrassment that crept up pale cheeks. What had he been thinking, breaking down in the Hokage's office? Where was his comportment, his dignity? "Forgive me for my lack of decorum, Hokage sama."

"I'm sure it was perfectly understandable, Uzumaki kun." The Hokage said, graciously. "Kagami, do you know why you are here?"

The aforementioned replied in the negative and Ashura felt his heart rate quicken. Kagami sensei had no reason to refuse, he tried to convince himself. He wouldn't have to undergo the mindwalk.

"So what do I need to do. Just let you know that I vouch for his character? Or do I need to fill anything out?" Kagami's voice is hoarse with tears but his trademark gruff tone brings out a watery chuckle from the Uzumaki.

The Hokage seems rather surprised at the immediate acquiescence although after watching their reaction to each other, Ashura wonders why.

"Are you quite certain, Kagami?" 

The Uchiha snorts in dry amusement. "If I find a shinobi more fixed in his morals, I'll give up my Sharingan. His loyalty will never be in question, I can guarantee that, Hokage sama."

"I see." Said the Hokage, stroking his beard. "The questioning will take place two days from now in the presence of myself and the advisory council, the Jounin Commander and a Yamanaka to ensure the truthfulness of your answers and the two jounin who have agreed to vouch for your character. You are to remain in the hospital on medic's orders and barring a medical emergency, the date of the interrogation will not be changed. Should any question infringe upon clan secrets, you will have to say as much and should that be truthful, you will not have to answer it. Is that acceptable, Uzumaki Ashura?"

"Yes Hokage sama."

As Ashura turned to leave, he was stopped by the softening of the man's expression. "It has been a very long time since Kagami has shown interest in taking a student. I hope very much that you are worth it, Ashura kun."

With that Ashura and Kagami were escorted out of the Hokage's office by the bear masked ANBU. 

"That stupid monkey!" Kagami sputtered, fond annoyance littering his tone. "Not interested in a student, my foot! I'm not interested in having a bunch of genin chasing after me like ducklings! You hear that!" He turned to the closed door, shaking his fist comically, "If you dare to actually give me a genin team, their first test will be cutting of that tiny bottlebrush you call a beard!"

Ashura smiled slightly, "Isn't that treason or something? Plotting bodily harm of your Kage? And monkey?"

Kagami grumbled, as he led Ashura back to the hospital. "That's not bodily harm, that's maintaining the dignity of my village and if he doesn't want to be called a monkey, he shouldn't act like one."

Ashura's giggle brought a smile to the stoic Uchiha's face, "You can't just go around calling the God Of Shinobi, a monkey!"

"Don't worry, brat, he doesn't mind it."

But just like that Ashura's good mood evaporated and all he could hear was Madara calling him a brat and the pain that would follow. He reflexively cringed away from Kagami his eyes snapping shut to ward of a Genjutsu and his hands over his ears, as his breath quickened. He tried to breathe but his pitiful attempts did not do much good for his aching lungs. He couldn't see or hear Kagami, his mind having flashed back to the cave with Madara looming over him. He curled up into a ball, making himself a smaller target but that immediately put pressure on his injured arm and he screamed, the pain only cementing the memory over reality.

The golden glow of the flames of Madara's jutsu loomed over his prone form and he couldn't help the whimper as he cowered from it.

Through the haze of the flashback, he felt warm hands over his own, as they gently removed them from over his ears and he became aware of a familiar voice speaking to him. 

"-Uzumaki Ashura. You are ten years old. It is the 28th day of December, 92 years after Uzushio. You are in Konoha. You are safe. Everything is fine. You are Uzumaki Ashura. Can you try and breathe with me?"

Ashura forced himself to breathe with the voice. He still refused to open his eyes but he managed to breathe enough to sate his starving lungs. The voice was still speaking.

"That's it. In... and out. In... and out. Now can you try and open your eyes?"

Ashura shook his head vehemently, accidentally jostling his arm and letting out a little moan of pain.

"Okay, that's alright. I'm going to lift you, okay? I'll take you to the hospital and they'll give you something for your arm, alright?"

Ashura felt himself be lifted but the pain was excruciating and he thought he might have blacked out from it because the next time he woke up, he was in the hospital and he could sense Mio san's chakra along with a fire natured one. 

He slowly peeled his eyes open, to the sight of Kagami sensei and Mio san arguing quietly in the corner of the room. From where he was laid, he could only hear snippets of their conversation.

"-been trying to get a meeting with your clan head."

"-technique used?"

"-specialised Uchiha jutsu."

"Kagami sensei." Ashura interrupted, prompting the Uchiha to rush to his bedside. He lowered his voice so as to not be heard. "The technique. It was called Amaterasu. I think it was used with the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Kagami recoiled as if slapped. "An Uchiha did this to you?" Then, more quietly, "Then, the trigger for the flashback earlier...?"

"It was when you called me a brat." Ashura admitted, looking away from his teacher. "I'm sorry."

"There was nothing to be sorry about, you understand?" He returned fiercely. "You don't apologise for being unable to fight with a broken arm, do you? It's exactly like that. You were injured and you will get better, that's all there is to it. On my part, I will avoid using that word."

He hesitated slightly before continuing, "Was it truly an Uchiha? One from the village?"

"He called himself Uchiha Madara. I'm inclined to believe him. He was at least twenty years older than you and had a Mangekyou Sharingan that he could activate at will unlike those with transplants."

Kagami looked so terribly old at that moment that Ashura felt horrible for making him feel that way. "And the technique he used. What did it do?"

"It caused black flames and burned much more than the normal ones."

"Did he stop the technique?"

"Yes, but he was going to use it again when the Hiraishin activated."

"The Hiraish- I'm going to have a lot to catch up on, aren't I?" He gave a tired smile at Ashura's proud expression before returning back to the questions.

Finally, he turned to Mio san who had been watching them speak with a rather worried expression. "Nohara san, the jutsu is one that will burn for seven days and seven nights. Since it has been five days by Ashura's count, it should recede by the day after tomorrow." 

Turning back to the boy, he said, "I'm going to see if there is something else I can find about it. Take care of yourself, br- Ashura and get some sleep." 

Unfortunately sleep was a goal not easily reached when Kagami's departure was immediately succeeded by another visitor. 

"Good evening. You are Uzumaki Ashura, correct?" The shinobi was one eyed and bound in bandages, most of his weight supported by the cane he leaned on as he spoke.

"My name is Shimura Danzo and I am part of the Hokage's advisory council. I have recently come to know some troubling news and would like you to corroborate it."

Ashura inclined his head in acceptance.

"Is it true that you were held captive for an indeterminate period of time by an unknown Uchiha? One who, forgive my bluntness, tortured you both physically and mentally?"

"Yes but the Uchiha was not unknown. He was Uchiha Madara."

The man, Shimura, laughed insincerely. "But of course you understand that Madara has been dead for nearly forty years, don't you?" He spoke patronisingly, as if explaining a difficult topic to a child. "It is far more likely that this man is another Uchiha, hiding his name behind the most famous missing nin of his clan."

Ashura's instincts were urging him to be wary of Shimura and with every word he spoke, he felt his hackles rise further. "I'm not sure what you are insinuating Shimura sama."

"Nothing insinuated, Ashura kun. There is a clan of overpowered doujutsu users that naturally need to be watched a little closer because of the power they are able to weild. Why, the possibilities of the Mangekyou Sharingan are nearly limitless! You yourself have seen the very worst that can be. Aren't you worried that your captor could simply stroll back into the village under his original name and his clan might protect him?"

"And what do you propose I do about that?"

"I have a Yamanaka who has a rather unique ability to read only the memories that you direct him towards. Simply consent to the mindwalk carried out by him." Shimura said, smiling slightly.

Ashura swallowed his immediate denial instead saying, "All my encounters with him indicated that he was who he said he was. I don't see how another Yamanaka would be able to discern what I couldn't."

"Ashura kun, you know as well as I do that for all your prodigious talent, you are a child. Why don't you let those with greater experience than you, see what must be done? You mustn't even have realised the dangers of having Uchiha Kagami as your sole confidante in an unknown village. As Konohan representative, it was his duty to ensure that there were Konoha shinobi to help Uzushio during the battle, you know? Had he done his job properly, perhaps you might not have been the last Uzushio shinobi after all!"

Ashura realised at that moment, what exactly Shimura had been aiming for when he decided to visit him that day. The mindwalk had been a long shot that even the most inexperienced shinobi would have been able to see but what Shimura wanted, was control over an asset. 

Ashura was aware of his own importance both as a sealmaster and as a shinobi. He was a prolific fighter in his own right and one of the youngest to gain a bingo book entry. Moreover his age meant that he appeared easier to mould into the ideal shinobi. The political prestige of having the last Uzushio shinobi was nothing to sneeze at either.

Shimura had realised that Ashura held the most respect for Kagami and had assumed that it translated to loyalty towards the Uchiha against whom he seemed to harbour a prejudice of some sorts. He had therefore tried to nip that in the bud by blaming Kagami for Uzushio's fall, a not altogether unreasonable statement, as his duties had included informing Uzushio of threats that Konoha found and providing aid in case the need arose.

Most children, even prodigies would accept his words but Ashura had been trained in political science since the age of four and knew for a fact that Kagami had done all that he could have done in the circumstances. 

"I apologise Shimura sama but Kagami sensei has my complete trust. As for the mindwalk, I'm afraid I'm not comfortable with a stranger having access to my mind. Thank you for your consideration, nevertheless."

There was a brief flash of anger but was concealed almost immediately by a jovial smile. 

"I can't say I'm not disappointed, Ashura kun. However if you do wish to confide in me, I will always be willing to listen. I was an orphan myself and I understand how you must be feeling as opposed to most of the people here who come from vast clans." He smiled once more, nodded his head and left.

Once he was gone, Mio popped her head into the doorway, looking slightly worried. " Is everything alright, Ashura kun? Danzo sama said it was an emergency and so I let him in despite your exhaustion. I wasn't sure what else to do. Is there any change in the details?"

"No, Mio san, Shimura sama simply had some," Ashura paused, wondering how to parse the afternoon's conversation. "Concerns." He settled on, finally.

The medic nin looked doubtful but did not pursue the subject. Instead she said, "I know you wanted to sleep but Obito and Kakashi have brought a friend in to see you. Would you like to meet them?"

Ashura considered. The meeting with the council member had vanished all thoughts of sleep from his mind and he knew that if he was left to his own thoughts, he would overthink every second of his interactions. Furthermore, he enjoyed Obito's ramblings and had genuinely grown fonder of the older boy and wanted to see him again.

True to her words, there were three boys who entered his room at his acquiescence. The unknown boy was almost certainly an Uchiha, his colouring belaying his clan despite the disarming grin so unlike the famed Uchiha stoicism and Ashura would wager him to be closer in age to himself than the other two.

His judgement was found to be sound when he was introduced as Uchiha Shisui and had just turned eleven years old. He was also surprised to find that the trip had been his idea, because he had been intrigued to meet the shinobi that both Obito and Kakashi had lauded.

"You don't look that strong. You're even shorter than me!"

Obito groaned at the other's bluntness, grabbing him in a headlock. "Shisui! He's injured! What did you expect anyway? Jiraiya of the Sannin? And of course he's shorter than you! He's younger than you as well!"

Shisui slipped out expertly from Obito's grip, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying! Minato san always said that the only thing that would get the two of you to agree woul be the apocalypse and he doesn't look like very much."

Obito let out an inarticulate scream of annoyance and pounced on his cousin, dragging him to the floor. Ashura let out a soft snort at the wrestling cousins and immediately Shisui turned to him.

"That's the spirit! I know hospitals are boring but we can make it fun for you." He paused, as though daring Ashura to refute his statement. "So, is it true that you defeated four Kiri shinobi with only one technique?"

"Yes, but it wasn't like that. The technique was intended for facing multiple opponents at once and they were all low chunnin level at most." Ashura replied.

Shisui groaned in disappointment, waving his hands dramatically. "Nope! Nope! Nope! See that right there? That's too boring. When you tell stories of battles, you need to tell them properly. For example." He bowed, before coughing pretentiously. "Ahem. It was a dark and stormy night when Hatake Kakashi found himself hopelessly outnumbered against Kiri shinobi-"

"It was afternoon. And I could have taken them easily." Kakashi replied, looking affronted.

Shisui just waved his hand dismissively. "Just when it was beginning to seem hopeless, his saviour arrived in a glorious flash of golden light, his weapon drawn and the moonlight shining against his back."

"I'm fairly certain, I was bleeding profusely and my Hiraishin is a red flash. And I certainly did not have any weapons." Ashura said, mild amusement beginning to colour his voice.

"Meh, artistic licence. Anyway, the saviour spun in a slow circle taking out enemies systematically until all twelve powerful shinobi were defeated and managed to save Kakashi's partner from a terrible fate at their hands. Meanwhile his sidekick, Obito bumbled around being useless. The end."

"I think the only true part of your take was the bit about Obito in the end." Kakashi remarked dryly.

"BAKASHI! And you, Shisui! I thought I was your favourite cousin?" Obito said, rounding on them furiously. 

"You are!" Shisui said as he shrugged unabashedly, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "But every story needs comic relief." He snorted in amusement.

Obito's war cry rang out in the small room which immediately devolved into chaos with Obito attempting to throw his cousin at his teammate and Shisui and Kakashi deciding to team up against the common enemy, the former only grudgingly going along with the latter's overenthusiastic actions.

Ashura found himself laughing at the ridiculous scene, pure amusement bringing tears of joy to his eyes for the first time since Uzushio's fall. When he managed to catch his breath, he found all three boys looking at him with varying degrees of pleasure and surprise in their expression while Shisui looked ridiculously proud of himself. 

When Mio came to escort the visitors out of the room, she found a much more relaxed Ashura, the dark clouds in his eyes lightened slightly and the tension in his shoulders having eased with the boisterous play.

Having extracted promises to return as soon as possible, Ashura watched as the three left, Shisui turning around to grin cheekily at him before shoving Obito and body flickering away. He hadn't even realised how much he needed the company, until they had raised his spirits, even the constant pain in his arm seeming to lessen to a dull ache in the back of his mind after the contentment he felt at the evening of play. 

He knew that he would have to think on Shimura's words the next day and he would have to worry about the questioning as well but as he drifted to sleep, he couldn't help but acknowledge that maybe he was happier than he had been in a long time.


	8. Decisions and Deployments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and salutations,  
> This chapter is the problem child that I'm quite honestly ready to be rid off. Nevertheless, comment your likes, dislikes and opinions, please and give me kudos because I legit suffered with this irritating thing. You lot better,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Home is where the heart is,  
>  But when my heart is torn,  
>  Home is where my heart has,  
>  No choice but to make my own.  
>  For home was now a memory,  
>  A picture that I had owned,  
>  And now my heart has no home,  
>  Besides the one I mourn.

Ashura woke up panting, tangled in the sheets and sweating through the thin hospital gown he was wearing. His heart beat jackrabbited, his hands were trembling and he could still see his father's eyes glaring at him accusingly.

"Is this how you choose to honour our sacrifice? Making friends and enjoying Konoha's hospitality? Some Uzu shinobi you are! Abandoning your heritage for the first people kind enough to let you stay!"

The Amahiko of his nightmares was so far removed from his actual father that besides the familiar face, his words did little more than bring up the scornful thoughts he had been considering himself over the last two days, self loathing ideas that had lodged themselves into his psyche.

He had not given more than a cursory thought to the questioning he would have to face that day and although Danzo hadn't returned, Ashura knew he would have to see him at the same. Instead of taking time to ensure he would be able to tell his story and more importantly give all the information he needed to, he had spent the last two days in Obito, Shisui and Kakashi's company.

Obito had suggested bringing Rin to visit and Ashura had agreed, although he had blushed redder than his hair when she apologized profusely for causing his chakra exhaustion and thanked him sincerely for saving her life. Shisui and Obito had laughed themselves hoarse at his flustered expression and even Kakashi had grinned slyly.

Later they had attempted to get permission to take Ashura to explore Konoha but due to his status as an unvetted outsider, it was denied. Of course, the boisterous Uchihas just sneaked dango into the hospital room and made a mess of the sheets that Mio san was quite furious about.

They went on to exalt a particular ramen shop when the redhead had expressed his fondness for the dish and promised to take him there once he was allowed to roam freely. Through this all, whenever Ashura felt the beginning of melancholy thoughts, they were chased away by the ridiculous antics of the three boys and despite his very brief acquaintanceship with all of them sans Obito, he could say with certainty that he considered them good friends.

And that thought terrified him.

He still found himself blinking away tears when Obito's laugh reminded him of Ichigo, Shisui's constant teasing of his cousin was reminiscent of Arashi's relationship with his twin, Kakashi's acerbic humour resembled Arashi's and even when Mio san's caring nature brought to mind Miyuki baa-san's fond mothering.

He was terrified of forming new connections, new bonds with the three, knowing that he could lose them at any time. And of course, the guilt of replacing his best friends, practically his brother's, threatened to consume him with its fury. His dream, or more accurately, his nightmare brought that guilt to the forefront of his mind, forcing him to acknowledge his ineptitude and reminding him of their loss.

"Ashura kun, Obito and Shisui are here to see you!"

Guiltily, he forced his breaths to even out, mimicking sleep and let his eyes fall shut. Mio san looked in once more, before leaving, presumably to tell the cousins and he felt terrible that they had come all the way to see him only to be brushed off so callously. It was almost a physical struggle to lie immobile on the bed, wanting nothing more than to have their cheery dispositions banish his maudlin thoughts once more. Even Kakashi's dry sarcasm brought a smile to his face more often than not but he had indulged enough. 

He steeled himself. He needed to focus on the questioning, needed to hurry and pass on his information to the right person, needed to realise that he was a shinobi. A shinobi and nothing else. 

When Mio san came to 'wake him' up for the interrogation, he was calm. He worked mechanically, detachedly to complete his morning ablutions. Thankfully he could dress himself and do his own hair by himself, only the last vestiges of pain shooting through his arm, the week of torture almost over. 

He braided the ponytail with golden chakra conducting ribbons, blinking away tears when he remembered his father's braids glinting with the same golden ribbons before he died. They were little more than decorative pieces without access to his chakra but it reminded him of home. As did his Uzushio hitai-ate that went round his neck, the metal plate turned inside out to symbolise him leaving it behind. Seals covered his bare arms, layered over his scars as he had drawn them as soon as he safely could. His chakra was bound so they didn't glow with power, but the dark ink resembled the shinobi of his village. His clothes bore the Uzumaki spiral prominently and when he looked at his pale face in the mirror, he thought he looked like a shinobi, an asset to the village he hoped to join, and not like an orphaned child looking for a home. 

The medic nin didn't comment on his appearance as she led him to the Hokage tower to meet the same ANBU as last time but just before he left, he heard a whispered 'all the best' that he acknowledged with a nod.

The Hokage's office was full of chakra signatures. He recognised Minato and Kagami's as well as the Hokage and Danzo's but there were at least four unknown shinobi in the room besides them. When he entered, they weren't talking but there was a distinct air of tension that implied a recently concluded argument. All eyes flashed to the Uzumaki upon his arrival and he felt his stomach clench in tension.

He refused however, to let his discomfort show in his expression and kept his face face blank as he bowed deeply to the aged Kage. 

"Good morning, Hokage sama." He intoned formally.

"Good morning Uzumaki kun. I trust you are healed now?"

"I should be fine by around 7'o clock today evening, Hokage sama." He replied, flexing his injured arm absently as he spoke.

"That's an oddly specific amount of time," Danzo interjected suspiciously.

Thankfully Kagami answered before Ashura could, the latter having spent the last few minutes resolutely looking away from the council member, not quite ready to face him again. "That would be an Uchiha clan secret, Danzo. Ashura is willing to let it remain so."

"If there is a missing nin using it-"

"Clan secrets still remain secret, Danzo." The Hokage said with an air of finality that ended the argument. He turned back to the redhead. 

"Yamanaka Inoichi, Head of the Yamanaka clan", he indicated the long haired blonde with the characteristic light eyes, "will use an alternate version of his clan technique to keep an eye only on your active thoughts to confirm whether the information you give is true or not. He won't be able to read your thoughts or see any memories." He added when the Uzumaki stiffened up imperceptibly.

"The others are Jounin Commander, Nara Shikaku", a slouched man with spiky hair, bound in a low ponytail and prominent scars on his face, "My advisory council, Utarane Koharu," the lone woman amongst the group, "Mitokado Homura," a bespectacled old man with a grey beard, "and Shimura Danzo."

Ashura bowed once and received twin nods of acknowledgement from Shikaku and Inoichi although the advisory council merely stared at him intimidatingly.

"You are aware of the procedure to deny a question, correct?" Inoichi asked and when Ashura replied in the affirmative, continued, "I will need to place my fingers on your temples for a second and you may feel a slight dizziness. Do not fight the technique. It will be painful for both of us." 

He stepped forward, telegraphing his movements but Ashura still flinched when he touched his head. Thankfully no one said anything about his skittishness. He felt his head swim when cold fingers grasped his forehead and fought down the urge to resist the invasion into his mind. His eyes found Kagami sensei's and took solace in his placid expression, grabbing the band around his neck for comfort.

"What is your name?" Shikaku began.

"Uzumaki Ashura." He replied and almost immediately the Yamanaka said, "Truth".

"Answer the next question with 'no', please. Are you the son of Uzumaki Amahiko?"

"No", replied Ashura, obediently.

"Lie," the Yamanaka affirmed.

"Very good. We can begin with the questioning, Hokage sama." He looked at his Kage expectantly.

"Describe your actions during Uzushio's fall." 

Ashura took a deep breath, "I received a message from my father through jounin Uzumaki Kishiko to sound the alert and return to the Uzukage's tower immediately." He resolutely did not think about how his hands had tried to find a pulse in her still form and how he had declared her death in the middle of the marketplace.

"I did as ordered. At the tower, the Uzukage had pulled all his ANBU from the battle and prepared a counterattack. It's purpose was twofold, to weaken the enemy and provide a cover for the mission to retrieve and protect the Uzushio Fuuinjutsu scrolls. It was this mission that I was given. I was to accompany the team into the library, break the barrier seals before they fell enough for the enemy to enter, retrieve any survivors from the archivists and remove the scrolls using one of my seals." He paused briefly, not noticing Inoichi's quiet affirmation of his words.

"Why would he send a ten year old on what sounds like one of the most crucial missions at that time?" Homura asked, his lip curling scornfully.

Ashura thought he should be more annoyed at the elder but he couldn't quite bring himself to do so. They had barely begun and he already felt ready to be done. "I'm a sealmaster. The seal they needed was the one I claimed for my mastery. And," he continued tightly, the sick feeling in his stomach getting worse. "It wasn't so much a team as a protection detail, tasked with using anything and everything upto and including suicide to keep me alive as protector of Uzushio's legacy." 

There was a soft hiss of shock from the Nara but Kagami sensei's face may have been carved from stone for all the emotion he showed.

"What was the seal you were going to use?" Koharu asked.

"Classified." 

Surprisingly, it wasn't Ashura who spoke and he turned around to stare at Minato in surprise. The man looked slightly embarrassed but continued, "A sealmaster's mastery seal is his own property. It's considered his identity, his legacy. He chooses to show it only to those he claims as students and his own teacher, who deems it worthy of mastery. Other sealmasters are aware of its existance but it becomes public only upon his death." He doesn't meet Ashura's eye but directs his words to him, nevertheless. "Your father was your teacher so he was probably aware of what your seal did and therefore sent you to use it."

"Yes", Ashura murmured, taken aback at the defence and Koharu looked abashed. 

"Please continue, Uzumaki kun." The Hokage said when the silence grew strained.

"The team consisted of five other jounin besides me. By the time we left, the first wave of the invasion had concluded and the counterattack had been launched. It was just approaching nightfall when we set off for the library."

He hadn't been prepared for the devastation of a full fledged war. Even as they travelled under the cover of the night, they had been able to hear the broken cries of the dying. They hadn't seen any shinobi, neither friend nor foe emerging from the darkness but they heard them all the same, their moans of pain breaking through the cold darkness, even the stars seeming to wane at the destruction they were forced to bear witness to.

Their journey was silent, they never stopped for rest, perhaps the pained begging urging them away from the destruction or maybe they feared that if they shared the ground with the dying they would be swallowed up into their despair, but they had moved swiftly and silently for hours until they reached what had been the archivist's home.

The door had been destroyed and the soft glowing of the barrier seals lent an eerie feeling to the house but the team had soldiered on regardless. The enemy had targeted the Fuuinjutsu scrolls first, belaying the purpose behind the invasion and Ashura remembered feeling sick to the stomach that his people were being slaughtered because someone thought their techniques were too powerful.

The archivist and his family had been slaughtered, ostensibly to destroy the protection seals they maintained. However the destruction of those protections had triggered temporary barrier seals while alerting the Uzukage's office of enemy activity. They couldn't afford to wait until the seals fell, the enemy would be upon the knowledge like bees to honey hence the need for the covert mission to break the seals themselves and retrieve the contents of the archive.

The cleaved bodies of the adults had lain callously across the floor while the children were left murdered in their beds and Ashura had found himself murmuring their post mortem declarations under his breath. He worked under the cerulean light of the barriers, painting seals over the ground as the others stood guard against intruders.

"I'm done. I just need to activate it. There will be a bit of a glow." 

Miura Nanami, the leader of the team, had cursed under her breath but looked resigned as if she knew what to do before she said it. "Takumi, Masami, you will stay behind and face the enemies that show up." The rest of us will accompany Ashura into the archive." 

Ashura remembered being horrified at the decision and having to be reprimanded by Miura, knowing that the two left behind were being set up to die. He remembered being even more horrified when they didn't protest and even afforded their captain with a thank you. Now Ashura realised that they had been brothers and she had let them die together instead of forcing one of them to leave the other behind.

The seal had activated with a damning glow of chakra and Ashura immediately heard shinobi entering the destroyed house as he slipped into the archive, three bodies following closely behind, his apology to the two left behind, disappearing in the rush.

He was already ripping the sleeve off his shoulder and carving the modified storage seal into it as they entered the archive. The others looked away from his work, adhering to courtesy even then, weapons at the ready but despite his haste he was not even halfway through the seal when Kiri shinobi poured into the archive. 

There were around twenty against the four Uzushio shinobi and Miura had realised that immediately, because explosion tags went off immediately, killing four instantly. 

"Ami, to me! Wataru, suppos!"

The other kunoichi, Ami joined Miura in guarding Ashura as he worked while the last, Wataru began activating paper seals he used his summons, some kind of insect, to place on the enemies. Suppos were a slang term for chakra suppressing seals and shinobi began dropping like flies as senbon needles flew from the kunoichi towards the affected ninja. 

There were still far too many to face in an all out fight and Wataru had been hit several times by the weapons the shinobi turned to without access to their chakra. By the time Ashura had finally finished the storage seal and bound the entire archive within it, Wataru had succumbed to his injuries and both Miura and Ami were bleeding profusely. 

"I'm done. I'm done. Mission parameters successful! Let's get out of here." He flung shuriken at the shinobi still locked in battle creating an opening for his teammates to catch their breath.

"You heard the boy. Ami, can you body flicker?" Miura's eyes seemed to dull with pain but there was a glimmer of relief as well. The resulting nod had her breathing out a sigh of relief. She activated a weak barrier seal to whisper to the other two.

"When I activate the seal, body flicker out of here and get back to the tower."

"What are you going to do?"

Ashura realised too late what she was going to do and he was forced to watch helplessly as the seals on her arms glowed golden, lighting up her blonde hair and hazel eyes as she smiled menacingly at the last six enemies. 

"You're not the only sealmaster on this team, Ashura and my speciality is Explosion seals. Fuuin!"

Ashura watched as what was probably a combination of barrier and explosion tags activated around the six Kiri shinobi and his captain. The last word released the chakra suppressors as well increasing the strength of the explosion, annihilating not only most of the archive but the house as well. 

He and Ami fled through the wreckage and he barely felt as a rogue kunai lodged itself into his back as the flames skyrocketed towards the sky. They didn't stop running until Ashura stumbled, the stab wound finally making itself known. He remembered Ami binding the wound and trying to stem the bleeding but without medical supplies they hadn't been able to do much but hope that they would make it to the tower before he collapsed from blood loss.

He didn't remember much of the journey back, besides the faces of the four that had not been able to make it with them. He thought he saw Ami crying but neither of them mentioned it and when she was forced to carry him to prevent further blood loss, he just buried his face in her shoulder and mourned silently. 

"We met four Iwa squads. We were ridiculously unlucky and both of them were fresh shinobi arriving to supplement the army already fighting. The second one managed to get Ami with a Doton jutsu. She told me the true purpose of the team as she died.

By the time I made it to the Uzukage's tower, it had been shattered and there were no shinobi alive. I found my father beside the wreckage of the tower. The Kiri and Iwa shinobi had taken their own casualties but the streets were littered with Uzushio shinobi, every single one of them dead. I combed every one of the streets looking in every place I could think of. I found no survivors. Even the academy had been burnt to the ground and I found the bodies of all twenty four children. By the time the sun rose, I was the last shinobi of Uzushiogakure no Sato." Ashura stopped talking, his mouth so dry he feared he would choke. 

He didn't know when he started crying but his cheeks were wet and his fingers were aching around the death grip he had on his hitai-ate. He had told them everything as it happened holding back on the particulars of the seals and what he had done with the archived scrolls and he felt wrung out. He hoped the questioning would get over soon.

"It's all true, Hokage sama", Inoichi said after he stopped. 

Ashura wasn't looking at the other jounin in the room, his gaze firmly on his knees. 

"What happened after the battle, Ashura kun", the Hokage asked softly, but his tone was insistent.

"I was the only person who could carry out an Uzushio traditional funeral so I did it. I was captured immediately after that-"

"You can't expect us to believe that your captors waited until you finished the funerals before making their move." Danzo snapped.

"I'm afraid you have to give a little more detail, Ashura kun." The Hokage affirmed.

"I had completed the pyre in the marketplace and let the bodies burn through the night, before I was interrupted by a creature, humanoid, coloured entirely black with yellow eyes. It called itself Zetsu and asked me for a seal that no one, save myself and my father knew of, in return for help to rebuild and repopulate Uzushio. I denied his request and he created white clones of himself to fight. While fighting, I used a Fuuton Fuuin to fight while scattering the ashes at the same time. There was a second man along with Zetsu, an Uchiha who trapped me in a Genjutsu seconds after I completed the traditional goodbye."

"A Genjutsu", Minato repeated, with some confusion.

Ashura looked to Kagami sensei for permission. It was technically an Uchiha secret although he figured it was more an open secret based on how easily his teacher had told him about it in the first place. 

"Tsukiyomi", he offered, when Kagami nodded, looking pained.

"I woke up with chakra suppressing cuffs and a manacle around my wrist while they attempted to force me to give up both the seal and the Uzushio scrolls I had hidden. That's when I came to know that the Uchiha was in fact the believed deceased missing nin Uchiha Madara."

He stopped. He couldn't discuss the torture. It was in no way related to the invasion and the only important thing was that he hadn't given in to it. It was his own trauma and he couldn't bear to have it paraded around for no reason.

"A while after I had been brought to the cave, I sensed a third chakra signature that turned out to be Uchiha Obito. He eventually came to find the source of the screams and found me. He assisted me in breaking out but Madara found us before we could escape."

"Why was Obito not restrained as you were? Are you certain he wasn't working with Madara? He was even healed by that traitor." Koharu posited.

"Madara wanted to bind Obito to himself! He planned to use a disgusting seal over Obito's heart to ensure he wouldn't be able to escape! The healing was purely to get Obito to trust him enough to let his guard down. It's a testament to Obito's goodness that he refused to be swayed!" Ashura argued, turning to glare at the kunoichi.

"I agree, Koharu. Obito's loyalty was never in question. Ashura kun, you may continue."

It wasn't as if he didn't understand the suspicion, either. Obito's circumstances were curious but inexplicably the thought of anyone, least of all Obito with his brilliant grins and kind hearted nature, being reduced to a slave to Madara's whims was nauseating and even though he knew that the Konohans couldn't grasp the idea without understanding the seal, he was furious at them for distrusting the boy simply because of his clan name. 

He didn't voice any of his displeasure, though. Instead, he spoke of how they had escaped with the modified Hiraishin. Minato's disbelief at that was hilarious and Ashura couldn't help the giggle when even the Hokage had appeared flabbergasted. 

He glossed over the days they waited for Kakashi to use the eye and only mentioned the battle with the Kiri shinobi in the barest of terms, sure that team Minato had already reported it. 

"His story is truthful," Inoichi said, once he reached the part when Minato arrived. Evidently they didn't want to hear that mission again and Ashura was grateful that he wouldn't have to gloss over the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal.

"Is that all the details we need about the invasion?" Hiruzen said, turning to his advisors.

To Ashura's great consternation, Danzo stepped forward, looking at him coldly. "I find it suspicious that the boy managed to avoid any and all fighting during the battles, especially since the entire team he went with was killed leaving him, conveniently, the last survivor."

Kagami sensei met the gaze tersely. "What exactly are you trying to imply, Danzo? The story was corroborated by Yamanaka. What more do you want to know?"

"Just one thing. What happened during your mission and why are you aware of it when you weren't present on the battle field?"

Ashura grit his teeth. There was no way Danzo could have known about what he had seen. He hadn't told anyone and the only time he had even thought about the Genjutsus were in his ...dreams. 

He felt his breath catch.

"How did you know that?" He asked hoarsely.

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you were clearly in league with the invaders. And now with access to all of Uzushio's sealing history, you are a threat to Konoha!" Danzo paused, taking in the white face of the Uzumaki. "What exactly did you plan to accomplish in Konoha?"

Ashura couldn't breathe. He had never in his worst nightmares considered that he would be accused of treason. He had considered being denied citizenship, being forced to recount his tortures but never had he thought he would have to answer to disloyalty.

"I would never..." His voice broke on the word, "betray Uzushio like that. I had absolutely nothing to do with the invasion! Those... Those were my people, my friends and family. I would never have anything to do with anything that harmed them!"

"Answer Danzo's question, please." Inoichi said, "I need an answer to judge your truthfulness. Do you know what happened during the mission to retrieve the sealing scrolls?"

"Yes", Ashura whispered, bowing his head.

They were too good at their job to show surprise on their faces but Ashura felt every one of them stiffen up slightly, their stares slightly more hostile now. He couldn't look up to see if Kagami sensei was one of them.

"How do you know what happened?"

"Hokage sama, you can't expect to continue this questioning!" Homura said, before he could answer. "He was clearly involved in the invasion. We cannot allow this to go unpunished."

"Indeed, Hiruzen. His duplicity is surprising, to be certain but he has given himself away." Koharu's warbling tone interjected.

Kagami sensei's voice was heard above the rest, "Enough. Ashura," his tone softened and the Uzumaki felt his tension abate slightly.

"It was a Genjutsu." He began, his voice so low, he could barely hear himself. "Or many Genjutsus, I guess. Tsukiyomi mostly, but he began to intersperse it with ordinary Genjutsus knowing that I wasn't going to attempt to break them. Over and over and over," his voice broke and he felt his heart constrict and he leant over, grabbing at his chest to alleviate the pain. "He made me watch every single one of their deaths until I can't remember anything about them besides their faces when they died!" 

He was breathing hard now, chest heaving with each gasp. "Uzushio had four hundred and ninety four citizens. I know how every single one of them died! I know how they sound when they begged for mercy, how they sounded when they gave up hope. I know the names their loved ones screamed as they died and I know all of their last words." His voice was thick with tears, but still he kept going. He was breaking. Or maybe he was already broken.

"I know what my father's last words were. He was fighting twelve enemies at the same time and when he died, he was begging Uzushio for forgiveness that he hadn't been able to keep her legacy alive. I know how Ichigo died, protecting his brother because that's what he always did. I know how Ashura practically commited seppukku when he had to watch Ichigo die. I know how every Uzumaki, every Miura, every Kawahara died and cried for all their deaths. I watched and watched and did nothing, trapped in Genjutsu after Genjutsu, because they were already dead." 

He had stood up at some point during his rant but when he finished he felt himself bonelessly slump into Kagami's arms that encircled him. He wanted to go home to sleep in his father's bed like he did after nightmares but now his whole life was a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.

"I know what happened because Madara showed it all to me. He thought it would break me. Sometimes I'm not quite certain he was wrong." He whispered into his teacher's hug.

There was a telling silence, broken only by the strangled, 'truth' from Inoichi, when he stopped speaking, even the advisory council having been struck dumb by his words. Finally it was broken by the Jounin Commander's mild tones.

"I think that's all we need to know about the invasion, Hokage sama."

"I agree," The Kage said, sounding apologetic. "Ashura kun, do you have any negative plans with regards to Konoha."

"No, Hokage sama."

"Do you intend to attack, injure, or otherwise harm any loyal Konoha shinobi?"

"No, Hokage sama."

"Do you promise to serve Konoha to the best of your ability as a loyal shinobi for as long as you are able?" 

"Yes Hokage sama."

With each answer, Inoichi indicated his honesty and finally the Hokage seemed satisfied.

"Then, I conclude this interrogation and declare Uzumaki Ashura, formerly of Uzushiogakure no Sato, a shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. Wear the symbol of the Leaf with pride and let the Will of Fire guide you."

With that declaration, he handed the exhausted Uzumaki, a Konoha hitai-ate, with a sad smile. 

Koharu did not seem satisfied. "What about the rank, Hiruzen? We are in the middle of a war. We can't afford to have an unprepared child in the forces."

The Hokage looked at Ashura carefully, noting the way the boy held his new hitai-ate as tightly as he had the old. "I was considering allowing Danzo to train him."

Kagami looked shocked. "Hiruzen! You can't expect to put him into ROOT! What are you thinking?"

"Koharu is right, Kagami." Although Ashura thought the Hokage sounded strangely smug. "ROOT is for younger shinobi to be assessed and trained outside of the academy in covert operations. I can't think of anything more fitting for Uzumaki kun. I'm sure Danzo would agree. A sealmaster would only be an asset to your division, wouldn't it?" He directed the last at the one eyed council member who strangely enough looked uncertain.

Kagami's grip tightened around Ashura. "ROOT would destroy Ashura. I won't allow it."

"Danzo?" Came the Hokage's reply.

The man in question looked annoyed. "I agree with Kagami. The boy is too softhearted to be in ROOT. He is known as The Bleeding Angel, for God's sake. Send him to one of the other squads."

"I disagree, Danzo. Infiltration and information gathering are the primary roles of ROOT. Ashura has already shown himself to be proficient in that."

"Hiruzen, even Danzo disagrees! What more do you want?" Kagami asked, only his irate tone revealing his fury. 

"Why don't we ask Ashura?" The Hokage said, turning to the boy in question.

Ashura was about to reply in the negative, trusting Kagami sensei to steer him honestly when unbelievably, the Hokage began drumming on the table. It was random and a fairly ordinary nervous tactic but any Uzushio shinobi worth their salt would recognise the pattern as a message. 

And somehow the Hokage knew it. 

He tried to keep the surprise from showing on his face as he deciphered it mentally. 

'accept mission', it said, 'further instructions pending.'

"I will do whatever Hokage sama asks of me. I am willing to work in ROOT." Ashura replied obediently.

Perhaps Kagami sensei recognised the message as well because he sighed despairingly but did not argue any further.

"Then it is decided. Ashura kun, you will work with the ROOT division of ANBU. Your missions will be sent through my office for the first three months to ensure your compatibilty with your team after which Danzo will oversee your missions. Dismissed."

His fingers fluttered over the hard wooden desk, sounding out messages for the Uzumaki. 

'Conceal. Wait for instructions. Enemies surround.'

He felt his adrenaline rush as he settled into the mission mindset, even as he followed the seven jounin outside, leaving a clone in the Hokage's office and concealing it with camouflage seal. 

"Why don't you go and find Obito, Ashura." Kagami sensei said giving him a look that suggested he understood what had transpired in that office but wouldn't call him out on it. With a relieved nod, Ashura used a body replacement teachnique to take the place of his clone and dispel it before it could be seen. 

"Hokage sama," he acknowledged, bowing his head. 

"S ranked, long term infiltration mission to remove internal threats to Konoha. Duration approximately three months. Do you accept?" He said, without wasting any time.

"Yes Hokage sama."

"You are to infiltrate ROOT and report all activities to me. Attempt to find evidence of Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's betrayal."

Ashura thought his mouth may be hanging open. An internal threat, especially one from the three highest ranked and respected shinobi was ridiculously dangerous. Coupled with the information he needed to give the Hokage, it was enough to send shivers down his spine. "Permission to provide information, Hokage sama?"

"Granted."

"A week before the invasion, we caught a team of ANBU infiltrating Uzushio. We found that they were from Konoha before they died. My father did not believe you would betray us like that and sent a missive to your office with one of his summons. It never returned. Before he sent me on the last mission, he told me to send the message personally. I was supposed to leave the evening of the invasion."

"The ANBU had blank masks?"

"Yes and their deaths appeared to be caused from a distance by an unknown jutsu only upon their capture."

"I see." Hiruzen seemed ready to put his head in his hands. "Thank you for the information." 

He pulled a pipe out of his robes and lit it with trembling fingers, taking a calming breath.

"May I ask a question, Hokage sama?"

He received an affirmative gesture and continued, "Why are you letting me take this mission? I'm a new shinobi. You have no proof of my loyalty and no approximation of my skills." 

The elderly shinobi puffed at his pipe, the smoke ringing his face. He closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair.

"The Bleeding Angel." 

"Huh?"

"Do you know, Ashura kun, how many shinobi would ever gain a moniker like that?" Hiruzen said, a small smile playing at his lips.

Ashura just afforded him a puzzled look.

"I have heard many titles in my fifty years as a shinobi, Ashura kun. The God of Shinobi, The Devil of Iwagakure, The White Wolf of Konoha, The Demon of the Mist, The Silent Assassin, The Sweet Killer, The Genjutsu Mistress, The Poison Viper, Konoha's Yellow Flash, even young Kakashi has been gaining a name as Sharingan Kakashi. So many monikers alluding to their skills, their strength, their deeds," he paused for a second, "their sadism and their threat level but none of them have ever referred to their morals. 

There are very few shinobi who would ever gain a title like The Bleeding Angel, simply because our lifestyle does not allow us to show mercy. I heard your title very soon after you first appeared in Iwa's Bingo Book and it intrigued beyond all others. How was a child the first to gain a title that suggested benevolence of all qualities? 

I thought at first, it was because you hadn't been exposed to the harsh reality of our world. I was certain you would change your nindo when you realised the life you would have to lead but even now when you have lost everything to Kiri and Iwa, you fought them only once they attacked Obito and his team. You still killed them quickly and painlessly even though they probably fought in the Fall of Uzushio. Even while describing your own torture you spoke with sorrow instead of hatred. You would weep before you would rage and it is ...refreshing in a world of bloodshed. The title 'Bleeding Angel' implies that you would bleed yourself before you draw another's blood.

You defend, even when it is your right to attack and it... it warms a heart that I very much feared had turned to stone."

"Oh." Ashura wasn't really sure what to say. His nindo was his pride and he was used to defending it to others not accepting praise for it. "Oh." He repeated, faintly. "Thank you, Hokage sama."

"Um, I accept the mission." His voice grew stronger. Konoha would not fall while he still stood. He knew the pain of a lost village. He wouldn't see it happen again. "I will not let you down, I swear."

"I kniw you will not, Ashura kun." His voice unexpectedly became serious. "You will have to coordinate with another shinobi. The two of you will be partners within ROOT and will work together to retrieve information." He waited for Ashura's nod, before calling, "Raven".

An ANBU melted out of the shadows at the call. He must have been concealing his chakra signature because Ashura had not sensed him at all and he flinched heavily at the new arrival when he released his signature. 

"I'm afraid he was present during the questioning as well. I apologise for the duplicity but he needed to be aware of who he was partnering with and why."

Ashura was barely listening to the Hokage's words because he knew that chakra signature. Primarily fire natured, with the light calmness of wind chakra and the electric sizzle of lightning that set his teeth on edge. 

He knew that chakra signature from two days of its calming presence, knew it because he had avoided it just that morning, knew it because he had inexplicably begun to trust it despite his skittishness otherwise.

The ANBU took off the bleached white mask with an unusually solemn air, revealing the curly black hair and almond shaped eyes that sparkled with mischief when he laughed. 

"Hi, Ashura kun."

"Shisui!?"


	9. Friendships Formed in Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> Heylo folks! Chapter 9 is here for your viewing pleasure. Please be sure to leave all likes, dislikes and opinions in the comments box because I thrive on them. There's a helpful little box marked kudos, if you don't know what to do. As always please do  
>    
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> We might not share the blood they spilt,  
>  Or have more than acquaintanceship built,  
>  But I'll choose the family I want to claim,  
>  And I'll stand beside you come what may.  
>  I'm here today, I know I'm late,  
>  But I refuse to fail you once again. 

Shisui was ridiculously easy to forgive. Even though Ashura was furious, his genuinity just made him feel guilty for being angry. They had barely left the Hokage's office, his instructions ringing in their ears, when he began apologising profusely, nearly tripping over the words as they tumbled from his mouth.

"I swear I didn't know about you when Obito brought me to the hospital. I would never do that to you, I promise. It was a complete coincidence that we had already met. Hokage sama just told me that I had to listen to a meeting today. I didn't know it was yours and I didn't mean to hear your story without your consent. I'm so sorry. Even when he said that I would be getting a partner, I didn't think it woukd be you. I know you can't just forgive me like-"

"Shisui kun." Ashura interrupted, dragging the boy into a deserted alley. It was probably best that their conversation have as few people in earshot as possible. "I can't deny that I'm ...upset." He struggled to downgrade the betrayal he felt, knowing that it wasn't logical. "But I understand that it wasn't your fault."

He couldn't quite bring himself to say the words to forgive the Uchiha and perhaps the other realised that because he just accepted the statement. 

"And..." He began, hesitantly. "I'm your friend now, right? If... If you need me, I'm here. I know we barely know each other but... I'm gonna be there for you, okay?" 

Ashura's throat was tight with something he refused to recognise as tears but he nodded, looking away from the Uchiha. It seemed to be enough though, his trademark grin breaking through the solemn air he had afforded during the mission briefing. 

"So, partners huh? What do you want to do first?"

Ashura's stomach decided to make its opinion on the matter very apparent with an unholy growl that turned his cheeks bright red. Shisui laughed delightedly at the embarrassed boy and announced that they would be going for ramen. 

Mortifyingly, the offending organ refused to take the statement as the placatement it was and just roared louder, leaving the Uchiha in fits.

By the time they finally made it to Ichiraku Ramen, Ashura's crimson locks were overshadowed by his glowing face and Shisui was hysterical. 

"Shut up!" He hissed embarrassedly at the aggravating boy. "Everyone is staring at us."

The older just laughed louder, managing to both open the door and hail the genial man that served as chef, while doubled over and gasping for breath. 

"It's not that funny, stop it!" 

The chef was starting to eye Ashura suspiciously, as if he was the one behind Shisui's sudden insanity and Ashura was at a loss for what to do. 

"You look... like a tomato! With your hair! Oh God!" He gasped.

The sudden burst of killing intent had Ashura straightening up, kunai in hand and Shisui's mouth snapped shut with an audible click as he ducked behind the Uzumaki. 

"Oh no. Oh no. Ashura hide me, please. I'm a dear friend, aren't I? I will owe you fore- ack!"

He was cut off by a rather impressive growl from the red headed woman who was rising from the mass of patrons that graced the ramen stand. Her hair was almost electrified as the terrifying expression on her face melted into a fierce glint at the sight of the Uchiha. 

"Shisui chan. It's so very good to see you, ne?" Her tone was sickly sweet and dropped with sarcasm so potent, it had the boy whimpering. "Surely I did not hear you call me a tomato?" She said, with a faux worried expression on her striking face.

"N-no Kushina san! Never!" He said, shaking his head emphatically, "I was talking to Ashura, not you. I swear."

The other Uzumaki, the hair was a dead giveaway, seemed to finally notice Ashura and her jaw fell open as she studied the other with an intensity that was matched on her clansman as he took in her own familiar features.

Uzumaki Kushina was tall, towering several inches over the waifish sealmaster. Her rich red hair was lighter than Ashura's own but hung low, well below the small of her back and pin straight. As the striking violet eyes met sea green, a myriad of emotions flashing through them- shock, pain and pity. 

"Uzumaki," she breathed when Ashura finally tore his eyes from her gaze. 

"Yes, Kushina san. I'm Uzumaki Ashura," he bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"The Uzukage's son." Unlike the Konoha nin, she recognised his name immediately, no doubt having kept in contact with her birth village even if she hadn't been able to visit. It showed in her grief, Ashura thought. She mourned an ideal, a village, a legacy, more strongly than a casual shinobi might, but she was distanced from it. She mourned a few friends, and what might have been, their memories coloured in bittersweet nostalgia but she didn't mourn the smell of the sea or the feel of the slippery rocks under her bare feet like he did.

He nodded in reply to her earlier question, trying not to read into her expression. He couldn't bear the pity she felt, and he was sure he would respond inappropriately if she tried to talk about Uzushio. As of rwading his mind, her melancholy was swallowed up by the enormous grin that bloomed on her face. "No wonder you're at the ramen stand, dattebane. Every self respecting Uzumaki agrees that ramen is the food of the gods." Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "I have suspicions that Teuchi is one of those Gods but no proof just yet." 

Ashura looked a bit startled at her bipolar personality but she plowed on nonetheless, dragging the boy to one of the stools. "Shisui chan! Hurry up."

Before Ashura knew what was happening, he was seated besides the last member of his clan, eating a bowl of what he was unfortunately, going to have to acknowledge as the best ramen he had ever tasted. Both Kushina and Shisui seemed to expect it, eyeing him over their own bowls with smug smiles layered beneath their expectant ones. 

"Another Miso ramen, Teuchi san!" Kushina called while Shisui eyed the slowly building pile beside her with astonishment.

"I bet she'll order at least three more bowls," Ashura whispered, too quietly for Kushina to hear. 

"Are you insane! She'll pop like a balloon! This is her ninth bowl!" 

Ashura just shrugged nonchalantly, taking another bite of his own bowl. He might have been able to eat that much once upon a time but three months of starvation wasn't very courteous to his appetite and he was already feeling rather full.

Nevertheless, he enjoyed the knowing smirk he could level at his friend when Kushina finally declared that she was full after thirteen bowls of ramen. Shisui himself, who had downed a respectable two and a half bowls, the other half being repurposed by Kushina, couldn't help the awed expression that flitted across his face at the sight.

"Never bet against an Uzumaki's appetite, Shisui kun." Ashura said smiling slightly.

"Exactly, dattebane." Kushina said but Ashura froze at the familiar verbal tic, sorrow creeping up his spine.

Neither of his dinner companions seemed to notice his mood drop as they continued to argue about reasonable quantities of food. Ashura pushed away his nearly empty bowl with an inaudible sigh, the last vestiges of meagre appetite now gone. 

"Where are you living, Ashura chan?" Kushina asked suddenly.

Ashura turned to Shisui questioningly but received only a shrug in reply.

"I'm not sure. Maybe with Kagami sensei or back to the hospital?"

"That's ridiculous, dattebane. You will be staying with me until you get your own place."

Any and all arguments and excuses were swallowed up in the whirlwind that was Uzumaki Kushina and she left abruptly to inform the Hokage of the new arrangements, leaving both boys blinking at each other bewildered.

"Isn't she dating Namikaze san?"

"I think so."

"No wonder he repurposed the Hiraishin. Fight was obviously a no go so flight was the only option he had left." Ashura said, shaking his head slightly gratified to hear Shisui's startled bark of laughter.

Despite his arguments, he was grateful for Kushina's offer. He didn't particularly want to live amidst the Uchiha clan even if he got along well with Obito and Shisui and he was getting more than a little sick of the bleached white walls of the hospital. Besides Kushina felt like family, her chakra signature a whirlpool of wind and water chakra and her speech littered with the oft heard Uzumaki verbal tic. Most of all he felt safe with her, his constant chakra sense slowing down and his tensed muscles loosening in her presence. She felt like a small piece of home in this foreign place.

"Do you know of a good weaponsmith around here?" Ashura asked, rising out of his melancholy to recognise that he would need to stock up, now that he was going to have to go on missions again. He had never spent as much time on bukijutsu as the twins but he had incorporated kenjutsu into his fighting style. A one handed Uchigatana was light and short enough to swing without worrying about impeding his seals. He felt his breath stutter as he recalled the last time he had seen his sword, now broken in two from where it had been used in a fruitless attempt to save the last member of the team that was to retrieve the archived scrolls. Which reminded him,

"I need to visit the head of the Hyuuga clan."

"What?" Shisui yelped. "What do you need to do that for?"

"Ami, the last kunoichi who died on my mission during the battle?" Shisui had been at the questioning and would recognise the name. "She was a Hyuuga."

Shisui hissed, "Her eyes?" 

"With me. It was the only way, short of burning her body. She asked me to return them to her clan for a Hyuuga funeral."

And hadn't that been a surprise, when she removed the dark glasses that hid very distinctive Byakugan eyes. When she whispered in a rush, "Take them. I don't have a Hyuuga Branch Seal. Please. Get them to Konoha." When she died, blind but smiling, eyes stored in Ashura's pocket dimension.

"You'll probably have to make an appointment. Maybe in a week?" Shisui said, sadness stark on his mien. As a doujutsu user himself, he probably recognised the symbolism of returning your bloodline to the one that birthed it. "The Hyuuga clan is traditional, more than the Uchiha even, and they won't allow a meeting with the clan head without a fuss."

"I'll do that then," Ashura said heavily, weight of yet another expectation settling on his thin shoulders. 

Shisui looked worried. "Come on. I'll take you to the weapons shop." He said, changing the topic if only to bring the Uzumaki out of his funk. He could feel the boy's exhaustion, like a physical burden on the too thin frame. It was terrifying somehow, to see the shattered look in his eyes, to know that there was something that had broken his spirit so. Or perhaps not broken it, for Ashura was the kind of person who would bend and bruise and bleed but giving up was so far removed from his mind that Shisui was in awe of his strength. Not quite an adult but not really a child either, that awkward middle ground that genii often trod. Ashura was dealing with what most adults couldn't handle and doing so while keeping his childlike optimism that tomorrow might be better. It took Shisui's breath away.

"Are you coming?" Ashura asked lightly, knocking on his shoulder. 

"Yeah," he said, without missing a beat. He smiled at the smaller boy. "I'm coming."

______________________________________________________

Kushina lived with Minato, it turned out. Ashura could have kicked himself for not realising that just because she had a room to offer, did not imply that the others were empty. He couldn't help the awkward silence that filled the air when he saw the blond jounin sitting at the table after Kushina dragged him and Shisui from the weapons shop for dinner. She had disregarded every one of Shisui's excuses, steamrolling over them with ease and directing them towards her home with an determination that left Ashura quietly amused.

"Er... Good evening, Namikaze san." He cringed at his own awkwardness, only slightly mollified by the equally uncomfortable reply he received from the other. He was acutely aware of the fact that he had practically blackmailed the jounin into vouching for him by holding the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal over his head and he had rather hoped that he wouldn't have to run into the man any time soon. The fact that he had borne witness to his breakdown in the Hokage's office and knew most of what he went through was rather unhelpful in that regard as well.

"Aren't you going to eat, Shura chan, Shisui chan?" Kushina said, breaking the tense silence. She was draped awkwardly over her own plate, crimson locks splayed across her shoulders and posture atrocious enough that Ashura felt his own joints ache in sympathy. 

Nevertheless, the rebuke coloured his cheeks as he ducked his head and began to eat. Across from him, Minato obligingly began his own meal, with a quiet '"Itadakimasu". 

"Shura chan will be staying in the guest room until he gets his own place, kay Minato? I cleared it with Hokage sama as well." 

Ashura wasn't exactly sure what to do with the nickname. He wasn't sure he liked it but Kushina's familiar tone made his heart warm with love he hadn't felt in months. She was like an older sister, not that he had ever had one before, Tsuna nee-san had been out of his life more than she had been in it, and he enjoyed her good natured ribbing over his height and his seriousness. She definitely had an Uzumaki's temper though. One that blew hot and cold quicker than the changing of the winds and he found Shisui's fear of her extremely amusing. 

He missed Minato's cringe at Kushina's last statement though, too bothered by the work the man had brought out once more, after clearing away the plates. 

"You can't expect me to believe that you are going to use those matrices with that kind of seal." He turned incredulous eyes to Minato. 

"What's wrong with it? It's an explosive matrix, I know but to combine it with a connecting seal, I can't use anything else." Minato defended.

"Are there different kinds of seals then?" Shisui asked, trying for an uninterested tone and failing.

"Of course there are!" Ashura explained passionately. "It's like Ninjutsu, five elemental affinities, five Fuuinjutsu divisions- Dimensional, Explosive, Connecting, Barrier and Sensing."

"So storage seals are dimensional?"

"Yes! Storage seals basically allow you to open a pathway into known dimension, a personalized one, to store whatever you want."

Shisui looked thoughtful but Ashura could sense he wasn't very comfortable with the topic of discussion. "What about the others? Connecting seals?"

Ashura couldn't remember a time before seals. He had always known that Fuuinjutsu was what he was most comfortable with, what he understood almost instinctively. Seals were so much more than circles and lines of ink, it was like finding the cipher to a secret code. It was a language of its own, one were a single line, a drop of ink awry meant something entirely different and when they thrummed with power as chakra flowed through them setting them ablaze, it was an exquisite sight.

"Connecting seals are of three types- those that break connections like chakra suppressing seals, those that connect a person or an object to an area, like the ones used on prisoners and those that connect a person to another person."

Shisui looked up at at that. "There are seals that connect a person to another person? Like bind them?"

Ashura was mildly discomfited at the interest the Uchiha was showing in what one of the more unethical branches of sealing. "They are mostly mild and purely symbolic, lovers taking them at marriages are the most common although there is a mutual seal exchange when a master takes on a student. Some parents use them to monitor their infants and keep them safe."

Shisui doesn't exactly look disappointed but Ashura gets the general air that he was missing something he ought to have seen.

"You sound just like your father when you talk about Fuuinjutsu like that", Kushina says fondly. "He could go on for hours and I was always so bored when he did."

"You knew Ashura's dad?" Shisui asked, looking shocked.

"When he trained under Mito sama." Ashura said, a faint sheen veiling his gaze. "I forgot you had already moved to Konoha by then.

"He was double my age and had been apprenticed to Mito sama. We lived in the Senju compound with her and as the only other Uzumaki, we naturally gravitated to each other. I only knew him for about two years after which he had his own duties in Uzushio, but he used to argue with Mito sama about seals and it was amazing to watch. He used to rant about them to me as well, try to get me to learn but I found it boring, so he gave me up as a bad job." She laughed lightly. "His rants never stopped though even though I was about as helpful as a broken kunai."

"I met him last when you were just born, Shura chan. Mito sama was to decide your name, I think it was part of their apprenticeship agreement."

"It was." Ashura cut in hoarsely. He cleared his throat and continued. "She said that she wanted to name a boy in her lifetime and she had only ever had daughters who refused to give her grandchildren. Tou san agreed that as long as she let him apprentice under her, she could name his first born son." 

"Well at least you have a story behind your name. Mine is literally 'stagnant water' because I was born in front of a lake. No imagination whatsoever." Shisui cut in, looking indignant.

Ashura just smiled. Trust Shisui to know exactly when nostalgia turned bittersweet and immediately interject with his own unique brand of humour.

"You know, you never really explained what was wrong with my seal", Minato said, angling the paper until Ashura could read it easily. It was an olive branch, the redhead thought, a way to start over and as he picked up the discarded brush, he considered that maybe it might even work.  
_____________________________________________________

He was awoken the next morning by the insistent tapping of a messenger hawk's beak on the windowsill. It bore a simple missive.

 _'B rank information gathering; mission briefing at 1000 hours._

The message was punctuated by the knocking on the door and silence before Shisui entered the room with all the subtlety of a Bijuudama, waving the same missive Ashura was holding.

"Didn't you just get out of the hospital? You can't go on a mission so soon!"

Ashura rolled his eyes. "I'm fine." He may have been weaker and malnourished but the regular flushing with medical chakra had kept his muscle tone and with the final settling of the pain of Amaterasu, Ashura felt prepared to take on a mission.

"It's your first mission, it probably should not have been so soon. At least get used to the village and all that-"

I'm fine, Shisui." Ashura cut in sounding slightly irritated. "I know my limits and I'm not going to put you in danger by being ill prepared."

Shisui looked alarmed. "I never thought that! I trust you. I just didn't-"

"If you trust me then leave it alone. I'm fine!" Ashura was quite honestly annoyed at Shisui's worry. He knew he was smaller and younger than the other and probably looked malnourished still but he couldn't help but feel that Shisui was being condescending. "We're teammates and I've been on enough and more missions before. You won't have to babysit me." His reply came a bit more snippy than he intended but if it made Shisui back off, it would be worth it.

The two boys slipped out through the window, leaving a note for Kushina and made their way to the Hokage monument. 

"We need to go through the back. There is a hidden entrance to ROOT headquarters back there and only ROOT operatives are allowed in." Shisui said shortly, not pushing conversation after their argument. 

Ashura just nodded, still stewing in his self righteous irritation. The sliding entrance opened into a man made hollow in the mountain tunnels. They weren't very tall, and the cool stone was soothing after the heat of the village outside. The tunnels were confusing and twisted and turned endlessly, some leading to dead ends, more rooms and some seeming to never end. 

Ashura hated it.

At first glance he immediately felt his heart rate increasing as the stone hewn walls reminded him far too much of his previous residence with Madara's poisonous chakra just out of sight. He bit his tongue hard, hoping the pain would cut through the panic attack that was building alarmingly quickly but it was ineffective. His breaths grew shallower and he could feel himself getting light headed. Tears prickled at the edge of his eyes and his chest was beginning to hurt with the force of his heartbeat. A claustrophobia he had never possessed was beginning to edge his vision in black and Zetsu's cruel laugh was closer than ever. He couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, couldn't see and somewhere far away in his conscious mind, he realised that he was going to pass out. 

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand grab his own. It lightly grasped his palm, fingers pressing into his erratic pulse. The skin to skin contact anchored him, and he forced himself to breathe normally. Shisui's hand was calloused as were most ninjas' but it was warm and big and grounded the panicked boy until he didn't have to strain for air.

"Thank you." Ashura said softly, as he let go and the Uchiha just hummed in reply. He didn't make a big deal of it, merely directing them through yet another fork before they reached what could only be Danzo's office.

"Uchiha, Uzumaki. B ranked information gathering mission to Suna outpost no.46. The item is a scroll, bound in red thread with the symbol of Sunagakure stamped on it. Duration flexible, priority is the information. You will leave tonight at sundown. Understood?" The one eyed shinobi said evenly and without the slightest greeting.

"Yes, Danzo sama."

"Yes, Shimura sama."

"Good. Uzumaki, your position in ROOT will be based on this mission as will your promotion to jounin. Dismissed."

Barely thirty seconds and they found themselves led quickly outside the base. Ashura couldn't say that he was disappointed to be out of the catacombs but the rush seemed unnatural. He chanced a look at Shisui but found him looking strangely furious. 

"Is it usually like this?"

"It was, until after my first mission. When I first joined, I barely managed to breathe before I was kicked out of headquarters but after I returned from my mission, it was different." Shisui was looking at the ground, the muscle in his jaw working.

"So, it's like he trusts you after your first mission?" Ashura put forward hesitantly.

"Yeah." He bites out. "He trusts you after that."

"Okaaay." Ashura said, dragging out the last word. Shisui was acting strangely. He thought that after his near panic attack, they were fine in regards to the argument in the morning but maybe he was still angry?

"I'll meet you at the gates before sundown, okay? I've gotta talk to Kagami ji san before leaving." And he body flickered away without a backward glance leaving Ashura staring after him in shock.

He tried to put it out of his mind while he drew storage and explosion seals, and repainted the seals on his arms with chakra infused ink. He didn't know Shisui that well, it was probably just a personality quirk he hadn't realised the other possessed. He tried to tell himself that he was simply overthinking it but the thought didn't settle him as much as he hoped it would.

However when they set out from Konoha's dark green gates, it seemed that his thought process was sound after all, because Shisui seemed exactly the same as always. He greeted Ashura by trying to tug at his braid only to yelp at the chakra burns the ribbons caused him and Ashura rolled his eyes as he healed it. 

"Can I ask about the seals on your arms?" Shisui cut in when they stopped running. "I heard Minato san say that mastery seals are private but I don't know the protocol for others."

Ashura looked at his seals with pursed lips. "Yeah. It's only the mastery seal that is protected." He indicated the one on his right shoulder. "That one is my mastery seal. You place it on your dominant shoulder, because it is supposed to direct your actions as a seal user in the future. It is usually left incomplete so it cannot be stolen or repurposed. The one below it is a general banishing seal to protect against most poisons. It's a type of dimensional seal that works only on microscopic quantities so it's not always useful."

He indicated his other arm. "The one on my left shoulder is a camouflage seal, another dimensional one but this uses an open dimension to conceal your presence, both sensory and chakra. The one below is a new addition- a modification of the Hiraishin."

He was hesitant to show the last seal. In Uzushio, it had been his pride and joy, the first thing anyone noticed about him, but he was reticent to share more pieces of himself that had belonged to his fallen people. Finally after a notable pause, he turned his arm over showing the beautiful seal painted in red on the inside of his right wrist. "This... this was my apprenticeship seal. It symbolised my connection to my master and its location indicated that he was directing my drawing." 

He added in a small voice, "It was designed by my father."

Shisui looked torn, opening his mouth to say something but shut it again looking guilty. Instead he put his hand on Ashura's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "They're beautiful." He said, heartfelt and true.

"I know", Ashura said. "They really are." The silence that enveloped them was comforting and it seemed they were both loathe to break it. 

It had been so long since Ashura had thought of seals as beautiful but he remembered in his earliest memories, how he had begged his father to teach him to 'draw prettily' like him. Shisui's words had been a pleasant reminder of the memory. Surprisingly it hadn't been laced with bitterness and overlayed in blood, simply remaining a pleasant childhood memory and Ashura took comfort in the nostalgia that was, for once, not bittersweet.

They made good time to the Suna outpost, reaching just as dusk fell which gave them enough cover to stake out their target. There were eight chakra signatures, mostly wind users although there were two fire natured signatures as well. The scroll they needed was to be delivered the next morning, although they didn't know when exactly. Their best option would be to ambush the delivery, they decided, even if they might have to face an additional enemy.

"I'm water natured", Ashura said as they kept watch under cover of the camouflage seal. "I can take the two fire natured ones. But there are six wind natured and I don't know many fire jutsu. You'll be stronger against them so you take point while I back you up with seals, okay?"

Shisui nodded just as another fire natured signature appeared in Ashura's range. He said as much to the Uchiha, who had defaulted to a mission mindset, his easy going nature shuttered behind a blank mask.

"Acknowledged. Attack as handover occurs."

As one they leapt from the branches, their landings soundless but enough to startle the enemy. Before he could attack however, Ashura had knocked him out his gushing nose spattering blood around him. Unfortunately, the scroll they needed was with the other shinobi and he had managed to enter the outpost with it. No doubt he would be ringing the alarm before they could go after him. 

"Enter from underground. Follow me. Doton- Moguragakure no Jutsu." Ashura muttered, hands flashing through handsigns and the two disappeared into the ground. The Suna nin hadn't prepared for their sudden reappearance and although they were prepared to fight, their surprise made them sloppy. 

"Fuuton- Daitoppa."

"Katon- Gokakyou no jutsu." The giant fireball easily overcame the wind technique and the shinobi groaned in pain from the burns.

"It's an Uchiha, Ren sensei! Fire natured!" One of the others called as he rushed to help his fallen teammate.

In response, the fire natured shinobi rushed to intercept the battle but was stopped by Ashura. "Suiton- Sandan no Jutsu!" 

The barrage of water bullets clipped him on the shoulder and he went down hard, his shoulder bleeding badly. Nevertheless, he unleashed several fire jutsus that Ashura was forced to use barrier seals to defend from. His fingers ached with chakra burns while he fought to keep the barrier alive and his arm was sporting a shuriken lodged into the flesh. Three water clones popped into existance with the one-handed signs Ashura made behind his makeshift shelter.

He unsealed a torrent of water, he had already stored in a paper seal and formed it into a dragon with a whispered, "Suiton- Suiryodan no jutsu." As his water dragon towered over the enemy, one of the clones managed to get behind the Suna nin without being seen, knocking him out swiftly. Meanwhile Ashura's other Mizu Bunshin had engaged the other fire natured shinobi into a bukijutsu battle with both kunai and shuriken flying rapidly. 

Shisui was making quick work of his own opponents, his Sharingan red eyes ensnaring them in Genjutsus that left them disoriented and easy prey for his sword. He looked away from his battle for a second to see that Ashura had followed his example and drawn his own Uchigatana.

His blade flashed, as did the gold in his hair as the Uzumaki danced gracefully with two opponents at the same time, fingers glowing as they drew barrier seals that protected Shisui and himself. 

"That's the Bleeding Angel! How the heck is he alive?" Shisui's opponent said, gasping for breath. 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Shisui called as he spat out a fireball that made him scream.

Ashura couldn't help the giddy laugh that bubbled out of his mouth at their surprise. He had missed the heady feeling of an adrenaline rush as he used a banishing seal to suffocate one of his opponents while turning the blunt side of his Uchigatana to knock the other out. Shisui executed a flawless Body Flicker alongside him, and knocked out two more shinobi. They turned back to back, each against one of the last two opponents that had finally finished off Ashura's clones.

"Shunshin no Shisui and Iwa's favourite Uzumaki." One of them spat bitterly. "You won't be able to get the scroll if you kill all of us!"

"I don't kill unless necessary. None of your fellows are dead." Ashura said and then spoke quieter so only Shisui heard, "Push chakra into the paper seal over there." He indicated the innocuous paper fluttering slightly between the two enemies.

"Fuuin!" A barrier seal bloomed around Shisui as he pushed himself as fast as he could to activate the seal Ashura had dropped. It wasn't a moment too soon because just as he crouched on the far side of the room, explosions rent the air, engulfing their opponents.

When they died down, Ashura and Shisui were the only ones left standing.

"You're unhurt?" The Uzumaki said, striding over to the other and resting a glowing green hand over his temple while Shisui just looked at the explosion site in awe. He wasn't badly injured, a few scrapes and a nasty burn that spanned his upper arm that Ashura quickly managed to heal. The Uzumaki's own injuries were healing themselves, the practice his captivity had instilled in him ensured that. Still he had to consciously heal the superficial wounds, unused as he was to being entirely healed. When he had finished checking his partner, he knelt before the fallen shinobi and repeated the process. 

"They're all alive." Ashura breathed in relief. "Thank god." He turned to Shisui who was rubbing his head sheepishly at the delighted smile on his partner's face. "You just knocked them out?"

"Well", he drew out embarrassedly, "I know you don't like killing and I had the opportunity to knock them out so I thought, I'd just go for it?"

"Thank you." Ashura said, gratefully. Danzo had said that the information was the priority. These shinobi did not have to die without cause.

"What about the scroll though? That man said that it was hidden." Shisui asked.

Ashura didn't seem too bothered. "Sensing seals. I've used them before and there was blood on the scroll from the first Suna nin we knocked out. I can use that to find it."

Shisui set to work tying up the unconscious enemies while Ashura removed a sheet of sealing paper and a brush to begin drawing the seal he would use. It didn't take that long and before Shisui completed his task, Ashura was drawing blood from the other man. 

"Fuuin." The seal sparked with light as it activated, and as if hailed, an answering glow of light returned from where the scroll was hidden. 

Ashura retrieved it with a triumphant whoop and sealed it into the storage seal on his stomach He returned to find all nine shinobi trussed up like turkeys and Shisui examining the explosion site with poorly disguised amazement. 

"That wasn't a normal exploding tag, was it? The explosion was much bigger than usual but their injuries weren't as bad." Shisui asked excitedly.

"Honestly all Uchiha are pyromaniacs. No doubt about that at all." Ashura said, shaking his head fondly. 

"Normal explosion tags have overloading seals. They are made on ordinary paper so that the smallest addition of chakra destroys the seal causing an explosion. My tags are Uzushio explosion tags- releasing seals. The addition of chakra releases the excess chakra contained in the seal without destroying it. All that does is overloads their chakra system and knock them out. Any burns are chakra burns that won't kill, even if they hurt." Ashura explained. "The problem is that they are instantaneous and without your speed, they would be dangerous to the activator as well. Your Shunshin is pretty amazing." 

Shisui puffed out his chest looking like an overgrown peacock. "It's not like I'm named after it or anything." He said, while inclining his head ridiculously at Ashura. "Nope. Shunshin no Shisui is a completely foreign term. Never heard it, before."

Ashura smiled softly at the posturing boy. "Come on, hotshot. Let's get out of here. We have a two day trip back to Konoha."

He slipped out into the afternoon sunlight, trying and failing not to show how amused he was at Shisui's faux hurt expression, his good mood sweetening with every step they took. It might not be home, but Konoha was starting to become something precious all the same.


	10. Poignant Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> The plot moves forward! Chapter 10 arrives! Interesting happenings all around! Please comment your opinions. They are huge motivation. I write twice as fast when I get them even if they are your dislikes. Please give me kudos as well!!  
> As always,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> A promise from me,  
>  I swear I'll keep,  
>  My pledge, my word,  
>  A guarantee.  
>  Keep my vow,  
>  For I know how,  
>  A broken oath,  
>  Stings when raw.

"Earlier, the Suna nin. He called you something to do with Iwa, right?" Shisui asked hesitantly as they set up camp on the way back to Konoha.

Ashura looked up from where he was sharpening his kunai by the firelight. Oddly enough, considering the mention of the village that destroyed his own, he didn't seem that upset, more amused and maybe even a bit proud.

"Iwa's favourite Uzumaki." He affirmed. "It's because I'm in Iwa's Bingo Book as a B ranked threat but I'm the only one without a bounty or a kill on sight order."

Shisui tilted his head to the side, "How does that work? Isn't that the point of a Bingo Book?"

"Not really? From what I understand, it's more a listing of dangerous shinobi and their weaknesses. My entry has my village, a description of the way I fight and my appearance but without a reward for my death or an order to kill me. It's like they're declaring me a threat but do not want me dead."

"But why? Even C ranked threats have some kind of bounty. Why don't you?"

Ashura put his weapons down, leaning back against the tree. "You know I'm called the Bleeding Angel, right?" He waited for Shisui's nod. "I'm pretty certain it was an Iwa nin who started it by putting it in their Book."

"We were returning from a mission- Arashi, Ichigo and I and we had settled on the borders of the Land of Earth when we were ambushed. We weren't badly injured but there had been a poison on the weapon used and Ichigo had been exposed to it."

His face settled into a grim expression as he remembered how frightened he had been, with Arashi panicking and their mission scrolls stolen, knowing that his only hope was finding their attackers and hoping they had an antidote. It had been a Kusa team, notoriously hated in the Iwagakure lands they were in. As he used his meagre tracking skills to sense them, leaving Arashi to stabilise his brother, all he had been able to pray for, was that they hadn't been found and captured by an Iwa team. Unfortunately, when he did manage to catch up to them, they were already fighting with a team of four Iwa nin. Although, it was less fighting and more three Kusa jounin brutally beating up an Iwa genin team. 

An older shinobi, presumably their jounin sensei was bound from head to toe, a gag stuffed into his mouth while one of the genin lay motionless and the other two, well on their way to follow him.

"So much for Iwa's famed First Response Team. I knew it was a genin team but I didn't think it would be this pathetic." A Kusa nin with black hair pulled into a bandana said, his lip curled into a sadistic smirk.

"Honestly, I thought any team led by Akatsuchi of Stone would be a challenge at least but even he was just a warm up. Do you really want Uzushio's mission scrolls so badly?" His blonde teammate snarled back as the second genin screamed in pain.

The last one whimpered, even as his jounin sensei, presumably Akatsuchi, writhed in his bonds to help him. He managed to get rid of the gag but the ropes seemed to be a jutsu of some kind based on his inability to escape them.

"Leave the genin alone! I'll co-operate with you." He said, and Ashura's respect for him rose. "Look, you already know who I am. I'm worth far more than three green genin."

"Try again, Iwa scum." The last member, a kunoichi with glasses said, as she fingered her senbon needles, the same ones she had poisoned Ichigo with, exuding a bored air. Her killing intent rose for a second. "You are so eager to kill Kusa nin, aren't you? Why should we hold back from killing you?" 

The needles flew, quicksilver in the air and aimed at the vital points of the prone genin.

"Rei!" His teammates screamed, even as their own captors tightened their grips. 

Ashura didn't think as fingers flickered through handseals.

"Fuuton- Daitoppa!"

The wind swelled enough to knock the weapons off course, missing the unconscious shinobi by a hair's breadth and Ashura couldn't find it in himself to regret his cover being blown.

Instead of further comprising his position, his own kunai were flying, taking the kunoichi by surprise, as her weapons were hit out of her hands. He wasn't quick enough to neutralize her but at least the poisoned senbon were out of the picture. 

Akatsuchi would probably be helpful in containing the rest of the team but he wasn't naive enough to think the man would leave him alive as well. Instead he let water clones fight the blond nin while he attacked the kunoichi. He took the time to let barrier seals bleed around the two genin but he couldn't do much for the one still held by the Kusa nin. Unfortunately his distraction cost him a painful strike to the back with a Katon jutsu and he moaned in pain as his skin burned.

"Suiton- Haran Banshō!" He cried. The problem with water affinities was the difficulty in fighting without a source nearby. The technique he was forced to use against the Kusa shinobi was one of the only ones that didn't require a source of water. However Ashura was lucky enough to have a secondary affinity that tied fairly reasonably into his first.

"Fuuton- Daitoppa!" He followed, the gust of wind propelling the water he had been directing, towards his enemy. The Kusa nin flew backwards, landing heavily and unable to rise before he hit her sharply across her temple, knocking her out.

The fight with his water clones was winding down, but Ashura's quick seal left the enemy gasping for breath as the air was banished around him. He was easily subdued but Ashura had kept his eye on the third Kusa nin, the one who still held a blond haired genin in his hands, his tightening grip pulling pained whimpers from his hostage. In a swift movement, he pulled out a kunai and pressed it into the child's throat. 

"Let my teammate go or the brat bleeds." It was a foolish notion and the man seemed to realise that. Had Ashura been anyone else, he wouldn't have worried over a shinobi of a rival nation, he might even have welcomed it, but the Uzumaki being who he was, couldn't let the genin die. 

"I can't let you do that." He said softly.

"Ashura you idiot-"

He half- turned towards where Arashi had landed on the branch above his head, exasperated worry colouring his tone but did not waver. His friend's protests went unheard as he flew through hand signals. "Kawarimi no Jutsu."

The next second, he found himself in place of the Iwa genin, his throat bleeding badly from the kunai in his captor's hand. Ignoring the pain, he flipped the man, whose hold had slackened in surprise. Twisting the body, he leant over the man's back, winding ninja wire around his hands. 

Arashi was already at his side, pressing bandages into the open wound.

"Honestly, Ashura, you idiot. I can't deal with you. Sacrificing yourself for Iwa shinobi. Of all the ways to prove your genius..." He continued muttering, throwing his hands up in the air, when Ashura refused his help and went to check on the downed Iwa nin, his hand glowing green. 

"Are you an angel, un?" The words came from the genin that had been held hostage. He had a thin line of blood on his throat but seemed uninjured otherwise. 

"Pretty sure angels don't bleed, shinobi san." Ashura chirped cheerfully as he healed the other shell shocked genin. He frowned over the poisoned one, the symptoms were identical to Ichigo's. "Arashi, the antidote?"

"Got it." Arashi replied from where he was rifling through the Kusa nin's pockets. 

"Bleeding Angel, maybe." The genin said, seeming remarkably casual about his near death experience or maybe still a bit shocked.

Their jounin sensei had managed to gather his thoughts by now and was eyeing them incredulously "What do you want from Iwa? Why did you help us?"

"Because this one is a Bleeding Idiot." Arashi said, still looking white faced but pocketing the vial, very obviously not offering any to the Iwa genin. "Let's go. Ichigo's stable but we need the antidote."

"Don't be an idiot! He could have just taken them down easily! He nearly sacrificed himself for an enemy!" The Jounin said just as Ashura turned reproving eyes towards his teammate who growled angrily.

"Even they agree! Let them deal with their own problems." He said, losing the easygoing air and letting his fear for his brother bleed through.

"I'm not going to let them die, if there is no need for it. Life is precious." Ashura said. He gently dripped the vial into the fallen genin's mouth and handed it back to Arashi. "Go. Treat Ichigo. I'll get the scrolls."

"Whatever," Arashi said, with a faint scowl. His face twisted before it softened with a sigh and he placed a hand on Ashura's shoulder before leaping into the trees. "Be safe." 

Ashura smiled to himself as his medical chakra stitched the wounds of the unconscious genin and stood up, deeming the three healed sufficiently.

"So not all Uzu nin are this idiotic." The Iwa nin said, eyeing him shrewdly.

"Nope." His tone sharpened into something a bit more dangerous. "But your genin are paying the price of my nindo. I wouldn't be so quick to disparage it. They will live. The Kusa nin will probably wake soon. I'd suggest you leave quickly." 

The Uzu nin took to the tree tops in a chakra enhanced leap. At the last second, he flung his shuriken out, slicing through the jounin's bonds. 

"The next edition of the Iwa Bingo Book had an entry titled, The Bleeding Angel." Ashura finished, head tilted backwards. He couldn't deny that he was proud of his title. Even if it felt like a bar that he had to strive for, it was one he wanted to be worthy of, one he thought he could be worthy of. Even though his team had laughed about it, he had taken it as an encouragement and an achievement.

"Don't you regret it, though?" Shisui said, looking at him curiously. "Saving them, I mean. After Iwa and Kiri...." Ashura wasn't sure what expression he was making but it was enough for him to trail off guiltily.

"We are shinobi. Any and every one of us could become dangerous in the future. I can look at everyone as a risk and aim to eliminate them or I can deal with them as and when they prove themselves to be one." He turned to look at Shisui. "You don't have to agree with me. In fact there are very few people who would, but my nindo keeps me human amidst the macabre life I have chosen to live and I... I think I'm fairly proud of it."

Shisui was quiet as they packed up their camp but when they began running back to Konoha the silence was oddly strained, a more worried, anticipatory one and it left the Uzumaki worried as well. The entire journey, he kept one hand on his weapons, muscles tensed for an attack. He hoped that it was simply fear that they might have been followed but instead of relaxing, Shisui grew more and more restless the closer they got to Konoha and by the time the gates of Konoha emerged from the gloom, he was practically vibrating.

"Shall I submit the mission report? Danzo sama won't need both of us to report and you can go and tell Kagami ji san and the others that we're back." Shisui said, as Ashura began making his way to ROOT headquarters.

The latter gave him a quizzical look. "Don't you think it would be more appropriate for me to go in that case? I'm the rookie, so I had to prove my competence on the mission plus it counts for my acceptance into ROOT."

"Right." He said, with an unconvincing sigh, "We'll go together then."

Ashura didn't reply, not understanding his excuses and not sure of the problem in the first place. He was on guard for anything out of the ordinary that could be the reason for the Uchiha's nervousness, but their entry and exit, this time with Ashura clutching a jounin vest, was as rushed as the first time and he was bewildered by the similarity. 

"Didn't you say it would be easier after the first mission? We won't be able to report anything to the Hokage unless we are allowed inside."

"Yeah, well maybe it will get better later." He said absently, still bubbling with nervous energy. "So are you going to be staying with Kushina san now?

"Yes?" He said warily. He hesitated, before deciding to just ask. "What's the matter?" 

"..." He was overcome, suddenly by a violent coughing fit that had him gasping for breath and Ashura turning to him in alarm. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he said, "Kagami ji san wanted to know. Also if you wanted to meet the Hyuuga clan head, you should probably do it soon." It was a blatant subject change, and in any case, Ashura was bewildered at the need for it.

Unsatisfied with Shisui's answer, Ashura's first impulse was to press him for the truth but he couldn't treat the boy like an enemy nin with information and as much a his curiosity was piqued, he needed to let him talk when he chose to. "Okay," he said simply, choosing not to react to the relief on Shisui's face. "And I'll talk to them tomorrow. Shall we go for ramen, now?" 

"Yeah! Post mission celebration lunch!" He threw his hands in the air making Ashura giggle as they rushed through the streets in childish play. Both civilians and shinobi leapt out of their way and while the former looked disgruntled, the latter just smiled to see that the brutal lifestyle they led had not managed to kill their spirits just yet.  
______________________________________________________

Ashura stood outside the Hyuuga compound in traditional Uzumaki garb, his seals visible across his arms and a gilded box sealed in his stomach seal. He had hoped that either Obito or Kakashi could come with him but apparently the invitation was extended only to the Uzumaki clan and Kushina had a mission, so he was alone. The clan compound was coloured in muted hues with light grey and brown melding with pale cream on the traditional houses, arranged in a spiral. Ashura steeled himself, pulled his low plait forward, and walked upto the entrance, bowing politely at the guards. 

"I am Uzumaki Ashura. Hyuuga Hiashi sama is expecting me."

"Yes, Uzumaki san, I am to escort you to the Main House." The dark haired man said. "I am Hyuuga Hizashi."

"A pleasure to meet you." Ashura said. He knew it was rude but he couldn't bear to look at the ugly green seal disfiguring the young shinobi's forehead. He was handsome with his traditional features and warm skin tone but the seal ruined it. Ashura likened it to a fine painting with a scratch across the canvas.

The Caged Bird Seal was one of the most morally ambiguous seals. It was a type of Connecting seal but it toed the line of consent and was far too similar to the Complete Binding Seal that Uzushio had banned. It had been a commissioned seal, one that the Hyuuga clan had specifically asked for from an Uzushio traitor nearly a century prior. Unlike the Complete Binding Seal, this one did not affect the chakra system, being tied only to the Byakugan eyes of the bound. The binder could destroy the eyes of the user and restrain them to a certain extent but because their thoughts and behaviour wasn't being affected, it had been classified only as a partial binding. 

It was still one of the more cruel applications of Fuuinjutsu and Uzushio had notoriously sworn off any association with the Hyuuga clan after they found out about its use and Ashura found himself pitying the branch member as he was led into the centre of the compound to the largest house.

"Onii sama, Uzumaki san has arrived to meet you."

The title was a surprise and Ashura fought to not show the shock in his expression as he found the clan head to be a mirror image of his guide minus the grotesque seal across his forehead. He felt the disgust welling in him at the thought of the man sealing his own brother so cruelly.

"My greetings, Hyuuga sama. I'm grateful for your acceptance of my request." Nearly forgotten decorum directed his behavior as he bowed low to the other.

"The same to you, Uzumaki san. Please sit." 

Hizashi made to leave but Hiashi's command led to his joining them. The clan head eyed the small Uzumaki with no small amount of curiosity and a trace of apprehension, but there was surprisingly little derision in his expression. Ashura took heart from that fact.

"Your request claimed that you had news to deliver to me?" He prompted after a minute of silence.

"Yes, Hyuuga sama." Ashura stopped, not sure how to continue. The fact that even the clan head's younger brother had been sealed made his story nearly impossible to believe. How had Ami managed to avoid the fate of the Hyuuga Branch Family and more importantly, how had she managed to find refuge in Uzushio, one of Konoha's allies? Would they not be obligated to inform Konoha if one of their missing nin's were living there?

"I'm afraid it's not very pleasant news." He stalled, mind frantically rushing to phrase it appropriately. "Are you acquainted with a kunoichi named Hyuuga Ami?"

There was a sharp inhale from Hizashi but his brother just nodded solemnly. His face didn't give away his thoughts but Ashura thought he might be worried.

"I'm- I'm afraid, she found rest during the Fall of Uzushiogakure. I was her teammate during her last mission and as she asked me to return her bloodline to her clan if I could." He said in a rush.

"Onii san-" Hizashi said, his voice choked.

"What happened to her body, Uzumaki san?" Hiashi said, as he took it from his hands.

"She was given an Uzushio traditional funeral." Ashura said, quietly.

"What!" Both brothers said, shock layering their voice.

Ashura felt his back stiffen up. "She may have been a Hyuuga but she wore the Uzushio hitai-ate as proudly as any other shinobi. Uzushio welcomes her defenders even in death. I wouldn't deny her that." He spoke testily, daring the others to argue.

"You misunderstand me, Uzumaki san. I'm not upset. I just wasn't aware that she was so accepted in Uzushiogakure. I..." He trailed off and Ashura heard the faint stirring of emotion in his tone. "I didn't dream that she would be granted peace among your people."

Ashura understood. Even if he hadn't known of her previous affiliations, his father had known and had trusted her enough to send her on such a vital mission despite her clan name. "We are- were a small village. We prided loyalty, not heritage." 

"I am sorry for your loss, Uzumaki san. It's a mark on Konoha's honour that we weren't able to assist our ally." The Hyuuga head said softly and the boy couldn't sense any emotion besides genuine regret.

In reply, Ashura pulsed chakra through the seal on his stomach, unsealing the gilded box that held Hyuuga Ami's eyes and extended it towards him. "She told me she didn't carry a Hyuuga Branch Seal and asked me to give it to Konoha."

Hizashi's eyes were wide and slightly red rimmed. "You actually did it." He stammered, sounding dazed. "You allowed her to not be sealed."

"She managed to escape her guard. I had no part to play in it." The clan head said, with a graceful shrug of his shoulder.

Hizashi laughed shakily. "She just happened to escape while being guarded by the best Byakugan user in a century?" His incredulous tone dipped lower into heartfelt gratitude. " _Thank you Onii san_."

Hiashi dipped his head regally in his brother's direction but this time, his distant gesture seemed more embarrassed than arrogant. He returned his attention to their guest.

"The Hyuuga clan owes you a debt for the assistance you have lent one of our own. I swear to uphold it." 

"I accept your debt and extend my gratitude for the same." Ashura replied formally, trying not to show his shock. A debt owed was _huge_ and the phrasing implied that it was owed to his clan and not him personally which meant so much more. 

There was obviously more to the story of Hyuuga Ami but it wasn't his place to ask. However his curiosity must have been obvious in his expression because when Hiashi spoke, his words were littered with bittersweet amusement.

"Hyuuga Ami was our younger sister. She was due to receive the Caged Bird Seal on her fourteenth birthday," Ashura flinched at the name of the binding seal, "but she managed to escape her guard and leave the village. When no evidence was found of her survival, her missing nin status was rescinded and she was assumed to have died."

Ashura jaw nearly dropped in surprise as he looked at the man with a different gaze. He had been told that the Hyuuga clan head was traditional and arrogant but the man's demeanour, while emotionless, spoke more of pride in his clan rather than a superiority complex and his traditional behaviour was obviously more for the sake of image rather than any kind of stubbornness. 

"Thank you, Uzumaki kun." Hiashi continued and this time, Ashura could definitely decipher the warmer tone under the sorrow. "Hizashi will show you out."

"My thanks for your hospitality." He bowed and rose, but even as he moved to follow the younger Hyuuga, he kept his eyes away from his face. This time his faux pas was noticed and he cringed when Hiashi spoke in mild reprimand.

"May I ask what my brother has done for you to refuse to even look at him?"

"It's ...it's not anything he did. I apologise for my rudeness." Ashura said, somewhat lamely.

"But it is something else, is it not? I'm curious as to what it is that you find so displeasing about me." The other spoke up.

"You have done us a great service, you may speak freely here." Hiashi added, looking at him expectantly and Ashura flushed in embarrassment.

"That seal, the Caged Bird Seal. I know- I know that it is your tradition but I can't look at it. I'm sorry."

"Oh?" Hiashi said, but his tone was speculative instead of angry and Ashura unconsciously relaxed. "I take it you are familiar with Fuuinjutsu despite your age?"

"I'm an Uzushio Sealmaster." Ashura said shortly. He didn't say he was the last one, couldn't bring himself to accept the mantle of being the only one left.

Both brothers sported identical looks of shock on their stoic faces. Hiashi was the first to recover.

"Does your distaste imply I can commission a replacement for the Caged Bird Seal?"

This time Ashura gaped unabashedly, uncaring of social graces in the face of such an obvious disregard of decades of distaste. Unable to articulate a reply, Ashura just nodded to the clan head.

"Onii san, the Elders will never agree!" Hizashi said, his gaping jaw shutting with a click.

"It's an Uzumaki seal. They can't deny that it will be effective."

"But it has been this way for decades! And he's still a child!" Hizashi reiterated much to Ashura's chagrin.

"He's a sealmaster. An Uzushio Sealmaster at that." Hiashi replied.

"That is the issue! The elders will never agree to an Uzushio seal! Onii san, you can't just-"

"Ami would have wanted it." Hiashi cut in, and his brother fell silent at the rebuke.

"Uzumaki san, we will submit a formal commission at a later date. Thank you for your assistance." He said to the young sealmaster.

Ashura just bowed silently, and followed the younger twin through the Hyuuga clan compound.

He had immediately considered that this was an attempt to curry favor with him but all Uzushio had ever asked, in order to renew ties, was the discarding of the Caged Bird Seal. Hiashi was willing to do it, without any strings attached. Then again if the earlier tale was to be believed, he had helped Ami escape her fate and had possibly been planning this rebellion since before he held the power he did now. If that was indeed the case, Ashura would be delighted to help in the extermination of that distasteful application of his favoured art.

"Uzumaki kun?" Hizashi stopped him before he left the compound. He paused, looking conflicted. "I apologise for asking but ...my sister, how did she die?"

Ashura hesitated. The mission details were almost certainly to be kept a secret but the man just wanted to know about his sister and Ashura couldn't keep her last moments from him. "The mission was possibly one of the most important during the invasion. My father obviously trusted her. He wouldn't have sent just anyone on it. We were returning after completing it successfully when we ran into fresh Iwa patrols and she couldn't escape." He paused, "I'm sorry. She died pro-protecting me."

The man was silent for a long moment before he finally said, "Was she happy?"

Ashura remembered how she had told him the true purpose of their team, how she had promised him that it had been their own choice to go on the mission. How she had been glad to die on her own terms. How even after giving up her eyes, she had smiled into the heavens as she died. How her last words had been a choked, "I'm free."

"Yes," he said, looking at the man fully, managing not to flinch at the sight of the slavery seal. "She was happy."

He bowed once again and turned away from the muted browns of the Hyuuga compound. Maybe it was his imagination but the colours seemed just the slightest bit warmer to him now. 

He let his feet lead him blindly, meandering through the streets until he found himself inside the Konoha marketplace. It was vastly different from the shades of blue and green that he was familiar with in Uzushio. This was bedecked in vibrant hues, every colour of the rainbow. It was obviously run and primarily frequented by civilians, their sandaled feet clattering on the cobblestones. To his left, textiles of rich shades lined the stores and the excited nattering of customers filled the air. Toys, clothes, and spices were being peddled and the rustling of transactions lent an air of gaiety to the picturesque marketplace.

The scent of ramen broth made his stomach rumble and he smiled to see a little girl attempt to convince her mother to take her there. He had no money and didn't particularly want to buy anything so even the more enthusiastic hawkers left him alone. It almost felt like a picture, a scene he could watch from afar, an audience member at a carnival and the detachment was soothing. For the first time he could feel his mind slowing down, thoughts calming and ideas settling into the back of his mind, even his hypervigilant chakra sense relaxing and he could finally breathe easy. 

"Pardon me, are you Uzumaki Ashura?"

The speaker was a dark haired boy, slightly shorter than Ashura himself. His nearly black eyes and shoulder length hair bound with a hitai-ate were characteristic of his clan and the red and white uchiwa was rather blatant. 

"Yes?" He replied carefully the the younger Uchiha. Even if he was friends with Obito and Shisui and had his closest confidante in Kagami, his time with Madara had coloured his opinion of the Uchiha and he was still slightly wary of them.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi. I hop-"

"Itachi chan!" Shisui's annoyed voice cut through as he came barrelling out of the dango shop. "I will destr- Ashura?" He jerked in surprise at the redhead. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Hyuuga compound?"

"It just got over. I decided to explore a bit." Ashura explained. He couldn't quite keep the proud smile that bloomed across his face at the thought of the unexpected result of the meeting in question.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, coming up from behind, with Obito in tow. "You're ridiculously happy."

His smile grew wider. "I think I just saw the end of a century long feud between my clan and the Hyuuga." 

"What?" Obito said, while Shisui and Kakashi looked equally confused. 

"The Caged Bird Seal?" Itachi said, surprising them all. "Are you saying that you convinced them to remove it?" He breathed with not a small amount of awe.

Ashura scratched his head slightly. "I don't think I did any convincing but yes, they will commision a request for a replacement soon." He squinted at the younger boy curiously. "How did you know that?"

"Itachi chan over here is clan heir", Shisui said just as Obito interjected with, "Itachi's a giant swot."

Kakashi just looked between them in amusement. "Well neither one is wrong, I guess. What's the Caged Bird Seal anyway?"

"It's a binding seal, a disgusting creation which allows the binder to destroy the Byakugan eyes of the bound and even influence their actions to an extent." Ashura spat venomously.

Obito looked slightly green and although Itachi and Kakashi's poker faces were near perfect, he could see the disgust in their eyes. Shisui however looked... afraid?

"This seal..." He coughed a but, clearing his throat noisily. "You can remove it?"

"No?" Ashura replied warily. "I don't need to anyway. The binder, that is the clan head, can free them on his own. I will just help the process along."

"That's still really cool, Ashura!" Obito said, clapping the Uzumaki on the shoulder. "You're amazing." 

"What do you want with Ashura anyway, Itachi chan?" Shisui asked, his curious behaviour buried under a mischievous smirk at Itachi's clear dislike of the cutesy nickname.

"He probably felt sorry for Ashura, having you as a mission partner." Obito said, sticking his tongue out.

"That or he was hoping that Ashura was sane enough to deal with your insanity." Kakashi added dryly.

Ashura just sighed in mock derision. "You both are terrible and Shisui kun is a perfectly good mission partner. Now be quiet and let Itachi kun speak."

"As Shisui said earlier, I'm the heir of the Uchiha clan. My father wishes to invite you to dinner at the clan compound. Both mine and Shisui's families will be in attendance." Itachi said.

Ashura noted the oddly mature inflection to his words that he recognised in himself. No doubt the boy had also borne the monicker of a genius at one point of time. Nonetheless, as the words registered themselves, his stomach turned at the thought of being amidst so many Uchiha unprotected. While Shisui and Kagami sensei would both be present, it wasn't enough to erase his unease. 

Truthfully speaking, he had expected this. Irrespective of his part in the matter, his testimony had brought suspicion onto their clan. The very public invitation meant that they did not blame him and wanted that to be known to the general populace but the presence of his friends allowed him to deny the invitation if he truly was uncomfortable with it. They had even taken tbe trouble to send Itachi, who for all his genius and position in the clan, was still less threatening than an adult jounin. All in all, Ashura considered, it was a very considerate invitation.

Ashura's first instinct was to deny it noatter the concern, but he knew that allies in the village would only ever be beneficial and if he was being given such an opportunity, he really ought to make use of it.

"Thank you Itachi kun, I accept the invitation. If you could let me know a convenient date, that would be perfect." He received a nod in return, clearly Itachi was not a talkative person, and the matter was put aside. 

True to the deduction, Itachi barely spoke through the rest of the conversation, preferring to listen and share an amused quirk of his lips with Kakashi at the more rambunctious antics of the other Uchiha. In fact, it wasn't until the other three had left, that Itachi finally addressed the Uzumaki again.

"Ashura kun?" He spoke with what could only be described as a shy look on his face. "I found your entry in the Bingo Book. I... I admire your nindo. Should circumstances be favourable, I aspire to follow the same."

Ashura felt oddly off kilter. He had never, in a million years, hoped that he could influence another shinobi to agree with his ideals and he felt warmth ballooning in his chest at the thought. Nevertheless, Itachi's last line struck him as odd.

"Itachi kun, a nindo is not one that aligns itself to circumstances. Unless you refuse to falter in difficult situations, it is not your ninja way, merely an ideal. Besides, your nindo is your own." Ashura felt slightly wrong- footed at being the one to give advice instead of receiving it. "I'm... I'm humbled that you were inspired by mine but once you choose to adopt it, it is your own to follow. Good intentions are never enough and actions must follow, irrespective of the circumstances."

There was definitely a flush high in the Uchiha's pale cheeks and he was just glad that Shisui wasn't there to see it. "Thank you, Ashura kun. I will think on your words." He said politely before nodding a goodbye.

Ashura was left to his thoughts when he returned to Kushina's house, both occupants having left on missions and his first instinct was to begin work on the Hyuuga seal. However, his mind kept going back to Shisui's bizarre reaction to it. 

Thaniking back, it wasn't just that seal. He had been acting strangely since they had been confirmed as mission partners and Ashura was intrigued. While his odd skittishness around ROOT could be attributed to the mission they were undertaking, he seemed mostly interested in keeping Ashura from it, volunteering to deliver the report alone, despite the joint mission. His fondness for cryptic comments, like being trusted after his first mission, also infuriated Ashura.

Additionally, Shisui's interest in Fuuinjutsu seemed to only extend to very specific seals, the Connecting and later Binding seals, his Apprenticeship marking seal and the Caged Bird Seal, all of which were the more morally ambiguous seals. Again, irrespective of the ethical ramifications, they were still fascinating and Ashura could explain away the interest if his instincts didn't twinge every time Shisui avoided explaining... by coughing. 

By coughing.

The knife he was sharpening slipped from his hands as Ashura's mind made connections that painted a terrifying picture. Puzzle pieces he had never even considered, slotted into place. Danzo was notoriously power hungry. Why hadn't he wanted Ashura, a powerful shinobi and sealmaster, in his squad? He wasn't fool enough to be prejudiced against another village's shinobi and their was no reason for his rejection... unless there was something _only_ Ashura could have unearthed. 

Something that had to involve seals.

Unbidden, an image of the four ROOT shinobi Uzushio had captured, rose in his mind. Killed from a distance, only upon their capture, seemingly at the will of the person behind their mission. 

Shisui's bitter smile, when he said that he had been trusted after his first mission and how he tried to keep Ashura away from ROOT when he had returned from his own first mission. 

He had to find Shisui.

He ran blindly, leaving any and all weapons behind him, his mind focussed on finding his friend. His chakra sense swelled through the village until he latched onto the crackling warmth of Shisui with single minded determination. It was a good thing the Uchiha was outside his clan compound because at that moment Ashura was sure he would have sprinted straight through the gates irrespective of decorum. 

He found Shisui on the banks of the Naka river as it emerged from Uchiha lands, his feet kicking lightly in the water.

"Ashura!" He said, spinning around to face him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

His eyes widened, comprehension dawning and something very much like hopelessness settling in his dark eyes. "He didnt-" He coughed suddenly, grabbing his throat and cursed furiously. 

"He can't seal me. I'm a sealmaster. I'd recognise it immediately." Ashura said, his voice trembling. "Danzo, that bastard. But he could seal you and who knows how many more innocent children! I thought I was overthinking it, making a big deal of nothing but that," he indicated the coughing boy, "that settles it."

He couldn't bear to see the relief on Shisui's face and the bitter smile that stretched across his lips. It looked unnatural on his perpetually delighted face, a perversion of his humerous expression. The words he spoke felt disgusting on his tongue and he could only imagine how the other felt but he forced them out anyway.

"Danzo put a Complete Binding Seal on you."

"So you realised." Shisui replied, smiling wetly. "You're the only one to do so. I've been dropping hints to everyone from Itachi to Hokage sama. No one caught on." 

"Why?" Ashura said, his nails digging into his palm. "Why- How are you so calm? He- he _branded_ you!"

In response, Shisui opened his mouth, showing the small, dark seal under his tongue. Ashura's stomach roiled and he gagged. "Oh God, I'm going to be sick."

It _looked_ wrong. Warped and unnatural, like a parasite on the Uchiha and he remembered his father's disgusted face when the seal was revealed after its creator's death. For once, the entire council had been in agreement, unanimous in their decision to ban it. 

"It's okay, Ashura. Breathe. I'm fine."

"Don't! Don't be so blase about it, please." He begged. " _That's a slavery seal._ It was banned. It was the _only_ seal ever to be banned for all seal users. Even _death seals_ aren't banned, Shisui and that... that abomination is. How dare he!"

He was crying angrily, tears that blurred his vision but he could still see Shisui smiling that same sad and slightly bitter smile. "I don't have a choice, Shura. It's been months. I've learnt to live with it." He shrugged.

If Ashura was angry before, he was positively furious now. The thought of Obito being bound to Madara had enraged him, the idea of branch members of the Hyuuga clan being enslaved had angered him, the knowledge that there were others in ROOT sealed, frightened him but the thought of the manipulative council member holding Shisui captive, playing him like a marionette on strings made something inside him snap. The helpless despair with which Shisui had accepted it left him breathless with rage.

"I'll break it." He whispered.

"What?"

"I'll break it. I swear on my integrity as the Last Great Sealmaster of Uzushio, I will break that seal." He had never invoked his title, especially as the last of the sealmasters but in that moment he knew he had to.

"Can- can you really?" The tentative hope in Shisui's eyes was heartbreaking and Ashura was forced to realise that underneath his dependability, his strength and his bubbly personality, he was only an eleven year old boy. A terrified eleven year old boy, who had been dealing with this on his own for months now. "Can you actually break the seal?"

The sealmaster looked at him, determination lighting up the aquamarine eyes. "Everyone thought that my specialization was dimensional seals because my mastery seal was one. Only otou san knew that my original mastery seal had been a seal breaker. One that broke what was widely regarded as an unbreakable seal. My speciality was and always will be Seal Breaking, and believe me, Shisui kun, Danzo will see exactly how good I am at it."

Shisui was crying as well, bewilderment writ large on his face but the unconscious tension in his body was gone and he looked so much younger in that moment. He lunged blindly, gathering the younger in an embrace, tears trailing into garnet hair while he wept a steady stream of gratitude into it.

"I will break that seal, Shisui kun, I swear it. And then," he untangled himself from the hug and looked straight into the Uchiha's eyes. With a start, he realised that he had never looked anyone in the eyes after Tsukiyomi but of course Shisui would be the exception, when was he not?

"Then, we're going to destroy Danzo."


	11. Sealing Away Survivor's Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> Less happenings but important happenings nonetheless in Chapter No. 11. Please donate comments and kudos to a poor author on this freezing January day and make sure you
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> My footprints are all that show,  
>  Across the ashes of home,  
>  For I'm the one they left to live,  
>  When they returned to stone.  
>  And I know that I'm still alive,  
>  Because even when I cry,  
>  The guilt is company I'll never have,  
>  When the past is poised to die.

The Uzushiogakure archives had been beautiful.

Built almost entirely underground, the crashing of the waves against the walls echoed through the dim caverns constantly. The dark azure and burnished gold columns towered above the shelves. Low benches were scattered around them and each shelf was engraved with seals that glowed a pale chrome when in use. Oil lamps under blue barrier seals kept the archive lit with a gentle glow. 

Sealmasters' names littered the walls, their works stored safely within the shelves. Some were sealed, their creators still alive, but most of them were freely open to any seal user who chose to study them. 

It was a common sight to see the few sealmasters of the village tutoring their students on the benches, scrolls of seals and inks of all kinds scattered around them. The low buzzing of their voices added to the ethereal atmosphere of the area as did the heady hum of chakra for those privy to its presence.

Ashura loved the archives, loved with a fierce, fascinated passion how the setting sun was reflected in the brightening of the oil lamps, how the chakra in the air soothed him and calmed him, how the seals glowed, almost welcoming, speaking a language that only the people around could read. Ashura loved spending hours at a time listening to the steady rise and fall of his father's voice as he explained theories and principles of his art to him. He loved working on his own in the corner of the hall, drawing iteration after iteration of the same seal. He loved the fierce burst of pride and triumph that accompanied success and the indulgent smiles of the other patrons, as they recognised the euphoria they chased.

Now more than ever, Ashura _missed_ the archives. Even with the contents of his storage seal, he missed the atmosphere of camaraderie, and mutual benefit. He missed the elders who looked at the new entrant into their art with fond pride instead of jealousy. While his seal held the contents of the entire archive with him, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was leaving it all behind.

The familiar pull of inspiration tugged at him, his two new projects claiming his interest, and while he felt the loss like a missing limb, he knew he had to move forward, for Shisui, if nothing else. As he stood before the Hokage tower, a request on his lips, he couldn't force himself to turn back again.

He was waved into the Hokage's office surprisingly easily once the ANBU guards made themselves known and it was far too soon before he found himself facing Sarutobi Hiruzen. 

"Good Morning, Ashura kun."

"Morning Hokage sama." He bowed respectfully. "I would like to request for a private area to store and study the Uzushio sealing scrolls."

The Hokage didn't look surprised, nodding absently as he retrieved a scroll edged in red. 

"As your questioning was treated as that of a clan head, you are eligible to clan law. This location," he indicated the scroll, "will be entirely private and open only to those you allow inside. You may use any protections you desire and any infringement on these stipulations will be treated as treason to Konoha."

Ashura took a deep breath. "Thank you, Hokage sama."

"And what about your mission?" Ashura felt the privacy seals go up with a careless flick of the elder's finger. "Have you anything to report?" 

While he maintained his placid expression, his mind was a storm of thoughts. Shisui was essentially compromised, even if Danzo hadn't realised it. That the Hokage had classed it as an S class mission meant that it wasn't infeasible for him to propose neutralizing the threat to the mission by silencing Shisui. Which meant that if he told the Hokage about the seal, he would be inviting danger onto Shisui's head. 

So he maintained his silence. "We had our first mission, Hokage sama. Information gathering in Sunagakure and encountered no issues. While Danzo sama is still wary of me as a newcomer, he has no reason to suspect anything. The headquaters are located at the base of the Hokage monument. Based on chakra signatures, I would estimate the number of ROOT members to number well above the expected eighty, closer to two hundred at a rough estimate." He paused wondering if he should mention it, "I sensed the other council members chakra signatures in ROOT headquarters, though I didn't see them."

Sarutobi sighed heavily. "I... see. Thank you Ashura kun. You are dismissed."

Betrayal was a bitter pill to swallow, it seemed. Ashura knew the man had been on a genin team with the council members and it was a shame that after decades of camaraderie, it would be treachery that coloured their memories. Losing a friend was always hard but how much harder would it be if you didn't even realise the loss? 

For as long as he lived, Ashura hoped that he would not have to experience the pain that betrayal bought. Far better would it be to have loved and lost, than to have lost the love you earned and he pitied the Hokage as he bowed out of his office.

He was directed, after his exit, to a fairly large house on the borders of the village. It was less defensible than the centre but it seemed that the Hokage was aware of the protection that seals could produce and had adjusted the dwelling appropriately, with little vegetation and several sturdy boulders. The house itself was made of stone instead of wood, perfect for carving seals, and was large enough to suffice as a storehouse for Ashura.

He had no excuse now. Despite his compunctions, he couldn't put off the task any longer. So he squared his shoulders, and blanked his emotions in a move reminiscent of a mission mindset, and began to carve. 

Barrier seals were his favourite seals. They were made to protect, defensive and never hurting. They were also some of the quickest to draw on a battlefield with the smallest of changes accounting for protection from both chakra and physical attacks. That they were a little chakra draining was to be expected for the amount of payback he received, and well worth it in his opinion. As such, his immediate response to a threat was usually a barrier seal. It was also the topic of his father's mastery seal and the first battle seal he had been taught. Unlike the other divisions of Fuuinjutsu, barrier seals were of only two types, single and combined, the latter of which had been used around most important buildings in Uzushio as the first line of defense. 

Like clockwork he built the protection, layering them and tying them to sensory seals as well, to increase their efficacy. Finally he used his blood to create the last layer of protection. It would not remain if he died, but until he did, it would serve as an impenetrable wall, with no one able to enter without his consent. As he drew seal after seal subconsciously, he gradually got lost in his working headspace, until he caught sight of the one he had just begun and jerked his hand away as if burned. He felt his breath catch at the sight of his father's familiar style. 

He couldn't draw that one anymore, not when he had lost all rights to it. He was unable to bring himself to remove it, though and it remained on the wall, a silent judgement for the young Sealmaster.

It took the better part of the day to complete all the protections but Ashura ignored the rumbling of his empty stomach in favour of breaking his storage seal. He knew that if he left to eat, he would not be able to drag himself back and at that time, too many people depended on his putting sentiment to the side and working on his seals.

He hadn't lied when he told Shisui that most mastery seals weren't complete when they were displayed on a shinobi's arms. They were usually kept private to prevent others stealing and claiming their work but during the archive mission, Ashura had recognised that he wouldn't have time to draw the entire seal again, choosing instead to just complete the one on his shoulder. Now, he felt the chakra on his arm overload slightly as he searched for the trigger within his chakra system to break it. Reluctantly, he felt the seal unravel and the floor of the house fill with scrolls. 

He resolutely did not look at the black ink edging each and every one, showing that their creators had all died, their works open to the public eye. All seal users and creators, even if they hadn't been masters had left their work in the archives. It was an unwritten tradition in Uzushio and one that ensured that it was protected and secured from all eyes until its creator's passing.

Although he ached to study the scrolls, read through the different thought processes of so many brilliant minds, his goal was different. He headed straight for the largest scroll, edged in red instead of black. He could pick up the faintest threads of his father's chakra for those had been his seals, to prevent others from studying the banned work, and he revelled in the familiar signature for a moment.

The seal was ineffective with the death of its maker however and Ashura cracked open the scroll easily, ignoring the shiver that ran down his spine at the diagram that marked it. 

The Complete Binding Seal.

Created by Uzumaki Yoichi, Ashura could not deny that it was exquisite sealing work. It leached onto three points- the mind, allowing for thoughts to be redirected, the body, with which actions could be controlled and the chakra system, the most deadly, because if the binder so desired he could destroy the chakra system entirely, killing from a distance. The position of the seal also affected the efficacy of the seal. Danzo had drawn it on Shisui's tongue, controlling all words he spoke to prevent knowledge of the seal being spread but it could also be drawn on the temples, controlling the thoughts of the bound, twisting them to their own ideals and morals. Another method would have been how Madara had attempted to put a seal on Obito's heart. It would have controlled his emotions, making him more susceptible to emotional manipulation. Lastly, it could be drawn over the tenketsu points, binding the chakra system to the user and allowing them to be used as puppet soldiers until they died. None of them had counters.

Ashura had known that the seal was barbaric but he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that it had been created with good intentions. Uzumaki Yoichi had been a well known sealmaster, devoted to his work and had been liked by his peers. He had even had an apprentice although he died before he had become master himself. A fairly scandalous apprentice, Ashura recalled as he had not been an Uzumaki, the first non-Uzumaki apprentice in recorded history, but altogether harmless. His staunch loyalty to his village and kind hearted nature was why the revelation had been such a shock. His father had been brokenhearted to see the friend he had revered fall so far from morality even as the proof stared him in the face. He had been the one to seal it away and it had remained a taboo topic even later on in the years.

And now Ashura stood before it. He went through the working several times, trying and failing to not see Shisui's bitter smile in every word, but eventually he thought he understood the basics. The actual drawing of the seal was far more complex, and he idly wondered how Danzo had got the victims to stay still long enough to draw it. 

All sealmasters notes were kept with their work, usually helping future users understand, upgrade and even build counters against their seals but for some absurd reason, Sealmaster Yoichi's work held his seal and nothing else. Ashura searched high and low for any possible help but there was none forthcoming and Ashura felt the weight of failure build over his head. The only reason he could think of for the bizarre disappearance was a mistake on his part while sealing the archives during the invasion and he felt the self hatred swell like a tide inside his stomach. Without the notes, he would have to build the entire seal from scratch, fix all its workings until it resembled the original and then begun to consider breaking it. 

And all its iterations.

Ashura truly regretted Yoichi's death with every failed attempt he witnessed blow up in his face. He knew better than to rush such delicate work but his worry for Shisui pushed him harder. He was so immersed in his work that he did not realise the time that passed, forcing himself to ignore the hunger pangs that made themselves known. 

His Fuuinjutsu was all he had left. He had been useless during the invasion, useless against Zetsu, and useless against Madara's torture. He refused to fail at the one thing he could actually help in. He had failed his father's teachings but maybe, just maybe he could redeem himself with this work.  
______________________________________________________

Kagami was worried. He had just returned from a rather troubling meeting with the Uchiha clan head, and the invitation he had received was more than slightly worrisome. 

_"You will attend dinner at the Main House, a week from now with the main family, your grandson, the clan elders and the Uzumaki sealmaster. Ensure Shisui is aware of the necessary decorum."_

Uchiha Fugaku had always been a pompous, arrogant man but Kagami had never thought of him as unkind, especially to a child barely older than his own son but he was beginning to reconsider that notion. To invite Ashura to what basically amounted to an Uchiha stronghold after what he had been through at the hands of one of their clansmen was truly cruel. Especially if he was going to subject the child to the taunts the elders were sure to give! What had possessed the man to think that dinner would be the appropriate response to an accusation of _torture_?

He couldn't help but worry about Ashura's own behaviour. He had always been self sacrificing, his nindo was evidence of it, but he usually knew himself better than to push when he couldn't deliver. Especially after Amahiko often counseled him to take himself into account as well.

Kagami knew guilt when he saw it. How could he not, when he had spent months recognising it on his own face after Tobirama sensei's last mission? But he had been older, nearly eighteen and his teammates had been there to hold him together, as he did the same for them. Ashura, was only ten years old and he had just lost everything he had ever known in one fell swoop and Kagami feared that by refusing to acknowledge the event, he would lose himself to his guilt.

The invitation was just another example. He was forcing himself to be better, to get better in order to reach some imagined goal and Kagami couldn't for the life of him understand why no one else saw the boy breaking under the pressure. 

He owed Uzushio, owed Amahiko and most of all, owed Ashura himself to help him out of the pit he was digging. 

With a decisive sigh, the aged Uchiha pushed himself of the floor, ignoring the twinges of pain that had made their home with time and began walking towards Uzumaki Kushina's house. If he wasn't mistaken, Shisui had told him that Ashura was staying with them, although it was only temporary. 

Kagami hoped it was a good sign, Ashura building ties in Konoha. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had held himself aloof, refusing to let his heart be broken again. But then again, he considered, chuckling faintly, Ashura had always given his heart away too easily. There was a reason that his father, even if the boy hadn't known it, was grooming him to be the next Uzukage despite his young age.

That sentiment was why Konoha and Uzushio's alliance had been so powerful. While Konoha preached teamwork above all, Uzushio prided family. With such a small village, it was more like a single clan than a village and everyone supported the others.

The Uchiha didn't absolve himself of guilt over the invasion either but unlike Ashura, he knew not to drown in it. More importantly, he knew not to blame himself for the incidents he couldn't control. 

"Good morning, Kushina chan. Is Ashura in the house?" He called over the fence to the redhead hanging up her laundry. 

"Sorry Kagami san, he hasn't been back since... yesterday morning, 'ttebane?" She trailed off in surprise before glancing back up at the Uchiha. "He was going to meet the Hokage and between Minato's mission and Obito chan's... well, I didn't realise he wasn't back."

Kagami paused at the information about Obito but decided to ignore it for the moment. "Did he... say anything about Uzushio to you?" The pause was barely perceptible, especially with his usual stoic expression and Kushina showed no signs of seeing it as she shook her head sadly.

"He told Shisui chan about his father the other day but other than that he hasn't said much beyond correcting Minato's seal theory." She laughed at that, loud and brash. "I don't think Minato's ego has recovered still."

"What lies are you spreading about my ego, Kushina?" The blond jounin called as he too joined his partner in the backyard. His jovial tone straightened into a more formal one as he bowed to the Uchiha elder. "Good morning, Kagami san."

"I hear my student has been schooling you in Fuuinjutsu these days, Minato kun?" He said, dryly. He truly did like the pair, even before he knew Hiruzen was considering Namikaze for the Hokage's hat. There was something truly genuine about their relationship and even their personalities, like a breath of fresh air. Ashura would be far better off with them, than living amidst any particular clan or God forbid, alone. 

To his credit Minato only looked the slightest bit disgruntled. "He's a genius, Kagami san and his way of sealing is unique even to the Uzumaki style."

Kagami's expression softened. "That it is. It's the reason he was given sealmaster status at such a young age and unlike others he does not stagnate. Each and every seal he creates is a stepping stone that he uses to master the art." His pause was evident this time, carefully calculated to get his message across. "It gives me hope, Minato kun, to see him use his seals freely even after Uzushio." 

"Have you considered therapy?" Minato posited carefully. It was a delicate topic with shinobi, especially Uchiha because of their doujutsu, with the more foolish looking upon it as a weakness and the more suspicious looking at it as a way to learn clan secrets. Nevertheless Kagami thought that it might be a good idea to talk to a Yamanaka therapist even if the Mind Walk was out of question and said as much to the other.

"That's good." Minato said, with a bright grin that reciprocated an amused look from the stoic Uchiha. "I know he has been speaking to Kakashi and Obito but I don't know how much was grabbing at the first familiar faces he saw and how much was genuine friendship."

Kagami surprised even himself by the bark of laughter he let out at that. "You don't need to worry about that, Minato kun. The bra- Ashura collects friends like a shinobi collects kunai. Leave him in a room with three enemies and he will somehow make friends with four." 

It was true. He was ridiculously charismatic and had he actually seen the Uzukage's office on his maturity, he would have had peace treaties with the Five Great Villages before the year was out. 

He snorted once more, before heading towards Hiruzen's office and calling out a farewell to the couple. "Thank you Kushina chan, Minato kun for the conversation." At the last minute he turned and fixed the blond man with a piercing glare. "Minato, for the love of God, just ask the damn question. Everyone in the village and probably Suna and Iwa as well know about the ring in your pocket."

Leaving a sputtering jounin behind, he Body Flickered to the tower just in time to catch the flash of lurid orange as Hiruzen greeted him hastily.

"You have terrible taste in students and even worse taste in literature." He said bluntly, sitting down in the only other chair. 

"Nice to see you opinion hasn't changed, Kagami." The other replied, just as dryly. "To what exactly do I owe this visit."

"Ashura came to see you? I wanted to talk to him and Kushina chan said he came here yesterday." 

Hiruzen sighed. "He wanted a clan land, which he was entitled to. For Uzushio's legacy." He clarified, unnecessarily. "You could check there." 

Kagami knew his old friend enough to recognise the slightly more tense muscles and the tightening of the lines at his mouth as signs of sorrow and he also knew enough to push until he got the answer he needed. "What's wrong, Hiruzen?"

"Don't... Just leave it, Kagami." He said heavily. "I'll give you Ashura's address. Go and find him." 

Was it his imagination or did he looked guilty when he spoke about Ashura? 

"Don't be an idiot, Saru. Talk. If not with me then with Koharu or Homura at least..." He stopped at the wince those names brought. "What happened?"

"We always did say that they would have been better teammates with Danzo." The aged Hokage said, shaking his head bitterly.

Kagami let out a long breath, feeling bitterness burn in his breast. Danzo had been the only remnant of the unofficial Team Tobirama, someone familiar after Torifu died in the Second Shinobi War but Kagami wasn't blind to his teammate's twisted ambition. He had seen the bitter anger when Hiruzen had been given the Hokage's position over him and the rumours he had heard about ROOT was enough to burn any bridge they might have been able to build. 

"What did he do?" He asked tiredly.

"Ashura kun confirmed that ROOT headquarters is not where he told me and the numbers are far greater than I had thought. Shisui kun gave me details about a few unauthorised missions but none of them are enough to warrant much action beyond a warning." He looked away from Kagami as he named his sources. He knew how much the two boys meant to his old friend but as Kage, he had no other choice and difficult decisions were now unwelcome companions. He idly wondered, as he watched the sorrow in his old friend's face twist into horror and anger, if either of his predecessors had ever felt as jaded as he had with the weight of mistakes pressing down on their shoulders. 

"I'm sorry, Kagami, but I couldn't do anything else. After Koharu and Homura jumped ship... well, they were my best options."

Kagami wanted to dredge up some kind of pity for Hiruzen but his worry and anger were far more potent. "I swear to all the Gods, Sarutobi Hiruzen, if either of them die for your ineptitude, I will show you exactly why even Tobirama sensei was hesitant to fight me." His eyes flashed Sharingan red, a threat far more cutting than his words. 

How far the mighty do fall, he considered bitterly as he stormed out of the office. One of the most feared teams in the Five Great Villages taught by Senju Tobirama himself, reduced to a pushover and a pair of lackeys. 

He thought of his grandson and his insistence on disregarding decorum, childish fun he had thought, until he had realised just how much it was doing to ease the tension between the civilians and his stand-offish clan. He thought of Ashura and his treatment of every life as precious, irrespective of who lived it. He thought of Minato who looked at the Hokage's hat as a vessel of change instead of status and of Kushina who chose to bear the burden of a foreign village even when she was forced to leave her own for it. 

The future generations were already making their indelible marks onto the foundations of the village and wasn't the Will of Fire a torch to be passed down to them instead of being selfishly hoarded with decrepit old geezers and their decade old conflicts? Perhaps it was time that Hiruzen considered retirement instead of just leaving everything to fall into place, despite knowing it wouldn't.  
______________________________________________________

Frustration was never an emotion that Ashura had been very familiar with. He had known that the best results came after longer hours and rarely lost patience, especially with Fuuinjutsu. Seal Breaking or even Building was not an immediate solution. His modification of the Hiraishin in Madara's cave had taken him nearly a month and the Jinchuuriki Breaking Seal had been a result of more than a year of work. He had known that he would not be able to break the Complete Binding Seal immediately but it still _frustrated_ him when the first several attempts blew up in his face. His eyes were bleary and ached with sleeplessness but he forced himself to push through it. 

The was a crackle of chakra and a fizz before modification number twelve failed miserably. Ashura groaned.

It wasn't so much that he was pushing himself than he just wasn't understanding the original seal itself. It was infuriating to the boy, especially when he knew exactly how important this was. Everyday he failed to complete a counter was another day Danzo held the power to control and even execute Shisui and several other ROOT shinobi without any opposition. 

His stomach clenched, painfully empty, his eyes drooped heavily and there was a slight pain building in his temples but Ashura knew better than to give into them. He bent over the desk and began to draw again when the bright flaring of chakra beyond the barrier seals startled him.

"Kagami sensei?" He questioned, when he stepped out of the protections. "What are you doing here?"

"You look terrible, br- kid. When was the last time you looked up from your seals?" The Uchiha said brusquely.

"Um... It's fine. I have to finish this seal anyway. I'll leave once I'm done." He squints in the light, slightly taken aback. Kagami wasn't the most mothering type of mentor and his fretting was very out of character.

"I can't deal with two stubborn shinobi, for God's sake." He muttered lowly, confusing the redhead even more. "Let's go for lunch, Ashura."

He refused to listen to Ashura's excuses practically dragging the protesting Uzumaki to Ichiraku ramen and sitting him down in front of a steaming bowl. Completely bemused but unable to refuse when he was starving, Ashura was halfway through the bowl before he came up for air to find Kagami watching him fondly. He crooked an eyebrow but only received a shake of the silver head in reply to the unasked question. 

The silence was anticipatory but Ashura didn't know what to say to break it. Any trace of humour was gone from his teacher's dark eyes, and something unreadable was brewing in his expression.

"Ashura kun," Kagami said abruptly. Ashura startled but didn't look away from the table. "I'm sorry," he continued, his voice gruff but sincere. "As Konoha's representative to Uzushio, I should have sent Konohan reinforcements to assist in the invasion. I should have realised my messages were flawed and done something productive. For failing miserably in my duties, I'm truly sorry." He bowed his head in apology and finally Ashura looked up to see him, yelping indignantly.

"Don't- Kagami sensei! You didn't do anything wrong! Don't bow to me!"

The Uchiha looked gravely at his student. As usual his gaze was directed slightly below his eyes and his heart ached for the pain the boy had come to know, far too intimately. 

"If nothing else, I should have gone back to look for survivors, when the funeral was found completed. I might even have been able to locate you earlier." He argued placidly.

"Please stop, sensei." Ashura said firmly. "You received no message for help and no reason to believe anything was wrong in Uzushio. Yes, it might have been your duty to send backup, but without any reason, sending Konohan soldiers would have been detrimental to your own village's war efforts." He paused, trying to control his breathing, "As for going after me, it was ludicrous! Who would you have sent on a wild goose chase after an Uzumaki with nothing to offer Konoha? All shinobi were needed on the war front and you were too valuable to go yourself. I don't hold you responsible for these two events and you don't need to apologise. I don't blame you." He stressed the last sentence out, hoping Kagami would get the message. 

"But you do blame yourself, Ashura." He said, looking at him sadly. "What exactly do you think you should have done that day?"

Ashura looked away, his face burning with shame. "Anything would have been better. I didn't fight, didn't protect, didn't do anything but run while everyone else died for me. Tou san taught me his seal for protection and I couldn't use it. I clearly didn't even deserve it in the first place!"

It was those words that shattered the Uchiha's stoic mask and he looked stricken. "Amahiko was cruel." He started fiercely.

Ashura opened his mouth to protest but couldn't get a word in. "He was a brilliant Kage but in his desperate attempt to be a good father as well, he was cruel." He sighed. "Truthfully speaking, he probably didn't expect the invasion to go as badly as it did but still it was needlessly cruel to burden you with a legacy on top of survival."

"Amahiko died, as did your team but you forget that they were all shinobi in their own rights and they had sworn the same oath you did, dedicating their lives to the village. With their deaths, they chose to keep their village alive. You need to take heart from the fact that it was their choice, irrespective of the outcome and you do not need to carry the weight of their choices." He finished uncomfortably. Long speeches on feelings was the last thing he wanted to be a part of but for Ashura he would swallow his discomfort.

There was a brief red blur before he had an armful of shaking Uzumaki, thin arms snaked around his waist and Kagami just sighed heavily, rubbing soft circles on his back. After he seemed to have calmed down, he gently pushed Ashura away. 

"That's enough, you menace. They won't let me back into the clan compound if I show anymore emotion." He said, entirely too fondly and Ashura laughed wetly.

"Also," he continued more seriously, "About your father's seals, don't go making his decisions for him. He taught you that seal to use. He decided that you needed, deserved, however you want to put it, to learn it. From what I understand, passing on seals, especially mastery seals from teacher to apprentice is the teacher's decision. Don't invalidate that."

But Ashura wasn't really listening, his mind fixated on the phrase 'teacher to apprentice', thoughts whirling as they fixed themselves into a solution he hadn't considered.

Sealmaster Yoichi had taken on a non- Uzumaki apprentice. One who would not know the unspoken customs. One who would not have returned the notes or even heard about the banning of the Complete Binding Seal. One who probably survived the fall of Uzushio. One who was probably the only source from which Danzo could have gotten his hands on the seal in the first place and one who almost certainly held the key Ashura needed to break it and Ashura trembled at the realisation it brought. 

He could barely breathe as he excused himself, Kagami recognising the light in his eyes and sending him of with a stern order to sleep as soon as possible. Unable to even consider walking, he grasped the Hiraishin marker at the house and almost fell out of the dimensional tunnel that took him there.

It was far too long before he could find the records of apprentices taken on by sealmasters and his fingers trembled as they traced down the long list, stopping with a jerk at the name he was looking for.

He had heard the name before. Read it in Bingo Books galore. The ruthless powerhouse of Konoha, student of the Sandaime Hokage, the Snake Summoner, the most dangerous of the Densetsu no Sannin.

Orochimaru.


	12. The Fight for a Forbidden Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> It is with great pleasure that I introduce an acquaintance of mine to all you wonderful people. Yes, it is Chapter 12 and she is beautiful in my eyes. If you share my opinion do inform me in the comments and if you don't share my opinion, feel free to spew all the vitriol you dare. Kudos are worth their weight in gold in these parts and I look forward to them every time. However don't forget to always,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> Where promises abound like shattered glass,  
>  And innocent bodies bleed too fast,  
>  Where hunger is writ large on tiny faces,  
>  And wars wield weapons that destroy races,  
>  The flightless angels with battered wings,  
>  Hold glowing lights where darkness stings,  
>  And bleed colours into greying pictures,  
>  The remorseful in a world of sinners.

There was something very wrong.

Ashura checked the address he had been given for the fourth time, but there was no change. The house he was standing in front of was indeed, as all sources claimed, Orochimaru's dwelling. But Ashura was bewildered to see that it was entirely wooden, a brief pulse of chakra showed no active barrier seals, and even the perimeter of the land did not hold any stone that could be carved on. If he hadn't held all the clues in his hand, he would have sworn that the inhabitant had never known a seal in his life. How did this house belong to a sealmaster's apprentice?

It wasn't the only strange thing in relation to the Snake Sannin's supposed skill in seals. Fuuinjutsu was a powerful ability but none of his abilities had leaked to any of the Bingo Books. Instead he was known as a Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu master. He never seemed to use seals in battle at all. In fact, of the Densetsu no Sannin, Jiraiya was considered the seal user, even if it wasn't the Uzumaki style! Again, if Ashura hadn't seen his name in Uzushio records, he would have assumed that he must have made a colossal mistake.

The only way he would be able to get any of the answers he sought was to confront the shinobi himself though and no matter his anxiety over facing one of the greatest scientific minds in the village, he would just have to push past it.

He flared his chakra, a common courtesy amongst shinobi, before entering the compound and knocking on the door which swung open almost immediately to reveal the man he was seeking.

Orochimaru's features were androgynous with high cheekbones and full lips, slanted golden eyes outlined in kohl that only accentuated the purple clan markings that ringed them and a sharp angular nose that resembled his summons. His hitai-ate was bound around his hair that reached down to his waist and Ashura was reminded of his father's belief that a living shinobi with long, loose hair was either weak enough to have never tasted battle or strong enough to have won it.

His poker face was flawless as he took in his guest with a conniving eye. "The littlest living Uzumaki. I'm a rather strange person for you to search out, certainly?" He said, leaving the door open in an invitation that Ashura took.

"Forgive my lack of notice, Orochimaru sama. I'm afraid it was a bit of a rush decision on my part."

"You are very certainly a Kage's child, aren't you, Uzumaki kun? All the etiquette without the pride of a clan. It's very refreshing, I must say." Orochimaru commented as Ashura looked around.

As Ashura had seen, the entire house was wooden, not a slab of stone in sight with even the furniture being built out of wood. It wasn't unique in Konoha where the Shodaime Hokage had built much of the village but it was still an odd choice for anyone with even the most basic knowledge of sealing. The natural chakra in the air was heady, although it reminded Ashura of something he couldn't quite recall, perhaps something from his time in captivity...? He shook his head to get rid of the thought.

"Would you like some tea?" His host asked, eyeing him with a disturbing amount of interest, retrieving the beverage when Ashura nodded politely.

Surreptitiously, Ashura let the banishing seal against poisons on his arm activate. It was horrifyingly rude in another seal user's house, almost broadcasting your mistrust but he was testing a theory. 

Sure enough, while Orochimaru started at the slight chakra disturbance, he didn't so much as glance at Ashura's arm, merely taking a cup himself and sitting across the Uzumaki on the armchair.

"It's a pity that the Uzumaki bloodline limit died out with them. It was a powerful craft." He offered before Ashura could speak. If he was reading it right, Orochimaru was expressing his condolences even if his method of doing so raised the hair on his forearms.

"I don't think I understand what you mean, Orochimaru sama. My clan's longevity was hardly a bloodline limit." He said, tamping down on the flare of guilt.

"I was referring to the aptitude for the Sealing Arts." He said with a raised eyebrow, lips quirking into a smirk.

"I wouldn't consider that a bloodline limit. There are plenty of powerful seal users who do not boast of Uzumaki blood. Minato san and Senju Tobirama come to mind." He paused, wondering if it would be too obvious but carried on anyway. "You are quite a prolific seal user yourself." 

"A slight dabbling in Fuuinjutsu, despite the instructor, especially more than a decade ago hardly counts as prolific." His grin sharpened into something fiercer. "Though I do wonder how you found out about it."

Ashura ignored the unasked question. "By instructor, do you mean a sealmaster?" He almost cringed at the obviousness of his interrogation. 

"I was an apprentice, yes, though it hardly amounted to anything. He passed on soon after and I lost interest in that hobby."

Ashura was completely bewildered. How on earth was this man a sealmaster's apprentice? For him to have been considered in the first place, he had to have been dedicated to the art or no master would have ever accepted him. Moreover, three years of study was enough to learn the basics, especially for a man of above average intellect like Orochimaru and the records stated that he had studied for six. He could not be the amateur seal user he was claiming to be. The entire situation grated on his instincts, urging him to look beneath the obvious. 

He tried a different tactic, playing up his indignation. "Even if he died, he would have taught you his seals. Given you his notes. You could have carried on his research after understanding the basics."

The Sannin's gave a derisive snort. "It's a pretty art, but it was too roundabout a method to achieve my goals. The basics I had learnt was hardly going to be enough to decipher his notes. As for his seals, they were primarily Connecting seals, something I had never been able to study properly."

Something was certainly wrong. For Orochimaru, a notoriously proud shinobi to belittle his skills so obviously, there had to be something else going on, something Ashura wasn't understanding.

"Do you still have his notes?" He queried.

Orochimaru stared at him intently, golden eyes boring into his face and even though he couldn't bring himself to meet the other's gaze, he tried to project innocent interest in his expression. Finally, a self satisfied smirk crept across the Sannin's face.

"So that was what you were after. I was beginning to wonder if you were here for your Uchiha friend."

Ashura felt his heart race. He had misread the situation. He frantically tried to backtrack. "Wh-why would you think Shisui needs your help?" He asked, trying to keep his voice flat.

"I was referring to the other one, the child who gave his doujutsu to the last Hatake but it appears that you do not know about his situation." He eyed him as he would a particularly tasty mouse. "Your expression, however tells me that there might be something intriguing going on with Uchiha Shisui as well." 

He leant back against the arm chair, linking his arms behind his head. His dark hair fell back from his temples as he looked away from his guest, revealing a slight darkening of his pale skin and Ashura's gaze zeroed in on it immediately. To most people, it would have been a birthmark or a bruise but to the Uzumaki who had spent the last three days studying every iteration of that particular diagram, it was plain as day.

Orochimaru also had a Complete Binding Seal.

On his temple.

It would explain a lot. Why he had disregarded his sealing ability as unimportant, probably to prevent him recognising the seal or building a counter and why there was no evidence of sealing on and in his dwelling and Ashura shuddered at the thought that his love for Fuuinjutsu could be bound so easily by that vile creation.

"You can take the notes, little Uzumaki. I don't have any use for them, anyhow."

Well, it would also explain why he was giving his teacher's work to Ashura so easily. 

The smirk was back on his face, but while Ashura recognised the arrogance in the expression he wondered how much of the dismissive air was truly a part of the jounin and how much was the seal. 

"In return, you give me a sample of chakra. You may not believe that your Fuuinjutsu is a bloodline limit but I'm not so easily appeased." He held out a pale hand invitingly, a coldly sadistic gleam in his eye.

It was frankly, fairly tame if slightly inappropriate. Chakra samples were easy to collect if you spend enough time with a person and because of that it meant that having someone's chakra sample meant that you were very close to that person. It couldn't be used to fake an identity unless a blood sample was present as well but it could be used to study bloodline limits, no doubt what Orochimaru wanted it for. 

"I'm willing to do so, Orochimaru sama." 

The transaction was completed quickly and Ashura found himself holding the notes of Sealmaster Yoichi and, he was surprised to find, those of Apprentice Sealmaster Orochimaru. He didn't point it out to the jounin however, knowing that the seal would make him dismiss it as unimportant and he refused to hear possible years of work disregarded because he was being influenced by its poison. He resolved not to look at them, and hoped that when he broke the seal he could return it to him.

It was as he was turning to leave that the acerbic voice of his host interrupted his thoughts in a mocking farewell. "You may be diplomatic enough for your heritage, but you are certainly not ruthless enough to be manipulative, little Uzumaki. Danzo would destroy you as you are. Vulnerable is a far better look on you." The cooly dismissive wave sent shivers careening down Ashura's spine though he tried to keep it from showing on his face. 

"I don't understand what you are implying, Orochimaru sama." He said, his mouth going dry.

"Then you are greater the fool for it." The jounin's eyes followed the small boy as he left his home, scrolls held tightly in his hands. There was something familiar in his passion and Orochimaru was conflicted about its source. "After all some roots are poisonous."  
______________________________________________________  
It wasn't much later that Ashura looked over the scrolls he had been given and he was unable to hold back his delighted smile. The notes were perfect. Everything Ashura needed and more. He couldn't believe his luck as he read through the work and felt his heart stutter at the answers he had been given so easily. More than that, a partially completed counter was also present, no doubt a side job Yoichi had been working on before his death but to Ashura it was a priceless treasure and he could feel his excitement bubbling as inspiration struck.

As he began to draw, the little oil lamp burning merrily in the corner of his work room, he felt the familiar enjoyment that had accompanied Fuuinjutsu for most of his life. Even though he knew how important the seal was, it left him excited when connections worked on the first try and ideas sparked success. It felt far more natural than when he had tried to force himself into working before Kagami sensei had spoken to him and while he was childish enough to blame the task for its difficulty, he knew that his stress and worry hadn't been the most conducive headspace for creative thought. 

While he worked, he dwelled on Kagami sensei's advice. He had spent so long trying to fit the mould he thought he ought to fill that he had forgotten that his own shadow wasn't much less impressive. He still felt guilty, and mourned deeply for what could have been but if he learnt to recognise those thoughts when they came, perhaps he would learn to ignore them. 

This time, although he shut himself into the clan house, he had been provided, he was smarter about it, leaving a message so Kushina san wouldn't worry again. 

Instead of blindly putting focus into destroying the impact the seal had, he focussed his efforts into breaking each aspect of the seal. A counter shape to dismantle the base, was followed by a systemic dismantling of the mental, physical and chakrik aspects. It took days of study before he managed to tie them together and his eyes were bleary by the time he had a satisfactory result. All he had left when he fell into a uneasy doze was a modification to affect the various locations the seal was applied.

Two days of barely eating or sleeping later, Ashura finally stared at the seal that would free Shisui from Danzo's control and he felt tears of relief pricking at his eyes. He was delighted, triumphant but more than anything he was so _relieved_ that he had managed to finish the Godforsaken task he had been given. He quickly quashed the brief flare of sorrow when he realised he couldn't celebrate his success with his father or even get the amused applause of the other seal users who would celebrate with him. Now was not the time for memories, he could do that after Shisui was safe. 

Grabbing the seal, he jumped to his feet, realising his mistake only when his head swam and he nearly fainted at the dizziness that set in. Apparently eating and sleeping were more important than he thought. He stood again, more slowly this time, making sure the seal was stored safely in the storage seal on his stomach. Resetting the protections on the clan house, he reached out his senses for Shisui, catching it almost immediately in one of the training grounds. 

He hadn't managed to sense the other chakra signatures with him, and was surprised to find Minato and his team there as well, Kakashi and Shisui sparring on one side while Minato oversaw their match.

"Hello, Ashura kun, are you here to join us?" The jounin asked, without looking up at the redhead perched on the brach above him. It seemed he wasn't the only one to notice his presence because Shisui broke away from the match to greet him enthusiastically leaving Kakashi disgruntled and singed from the last technique. 

"Ashura! Where have you been? Kushina san said you haven't been home in a week!" 

He tried not to wince at the word 'home' but Minato's narrowed eyes showed that he hadn't quite managed it. Shisui looked pretty worried as he took in the dark circles ringing dull green eyes and the deathly pallor to his too-thin face. 

"You look terrible! What happened?" Obito asked, blunt to the point of fault and behind him Kakashi face palmed while Rin just shook her head.

"It's nothing." Ashura said, shaking his head for emphasis. "I was working on something and just forgot the time."

"You can't forget time for a week!" Rin said, sounding scandalised. "You need to eat and sleep! My mother will be furious."

Ashura counted himself lucky that her aggressive mothering meant that her earlier shyness was forgotten but he couldn't help but feel self conscious at the scrutiny. 

"What was so important, anyway?" Kakashi asked.

"Something Shisui and I needed to fix. Can we go now?" He directed the last question to Shisui, who had stiffened up at his answer and was looking at him with a worried sort of hope. 

"Did-did you actually finish it?" He asked so softly that the others had to strain themselves to hear it. 

"Yeah." And immediately, all the sleepless nights were worth it to see the astonished smile bloom on Shisui's face. "Yeah, I did."

"Bye, guys!" Shisui called immediately before grabbing Ashura suddenly and body flickering away. 

They ended up by the same river Ashura had confronted Shisui in the first place and he turned towards the Uzumaki determinedly. "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing?" Ashura replied. "I'll draw the seal breaker over the one already there and they will both dissolve. It shouldn't hurt but the tenketsu points around your throat might itch slightly as they are freed again."

Thankfully for Ashura's frayed nerves, it went exactly as he said with no unexpected happenings and as he released his hold on Shisui's jaw once the last stroke had been completed, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. 

Shisui immediately began speaking. "I am an agent of ROOT, a treasonous organisation headed by council member, Shimura Danzo. He has placed a seal on all members and forced them to keep his secrets. The seal is on my tongue and I can't talk freely with it." Shisui stopped amazed, before he grabbed Ashura in the tightest hug he could manage even as the other stiffened at the unexpected contact.

"Thank you. Thank you. Oh God, _thank you_!"

"Anytime." Ashura replied softly into Shisui's shoulder. "Anytime."

He let Shisui calm down slightly, but eventually he disentangled himself from the embrace. "We have to report to the Hokage. Danzo has sealed other people outside of ROOT. Orochimaru sama had a Complete Binding Seal that manipulates his thoughts the same way yours effected your words. That's where he got the seal from in the first place."

" _Orochimaru_?" Shisui asked, incredulously. "He's the creepy scientist who experiments on humans."

Ashura fluidly rose to his feet, ignoring the fatigue that was seeping into his bones. He could rest once this was over. "We should discuss this with the Hokage."

"Kagami ji san as well." Shishu added, slipping into a mission mindset "He's my guardian and Danzo's old teammate. He should be there. I'm faster than you. I'll find him and meet you in the Hokage's office."

They separated, Shisui heading back to the Uchiha clan compound to find his grandfather. Despite the seriousness of the mission, he felt giddy with joy. It had been so long since he had been able to speak without the hateful chakra of the bandaged council member settling over his throat and he had forgotten how freeing it was. He was beyond a doubt indebted to Ashura and even though he didn't understand exactly how difficult breaking the seal had been, he could see the exhaustion lining his friend's face. He felt terribly guilty but he was also touched that the other had done so much for him. He couldn't help but remember how Ashura had cried when he found out about the seal in the first place. Despite coming from such terrible circumstances himself, he had cried for Shisui as if his pain mattered to him. 

Shisui felt his resentment at Danzo swell as well, the violation of being restrained and branded at his hands almost more than he could handle and he agreed whole heartedly with Ashura's sentiment of 'destroying Danzo'. Though, he considered, recalling his grandfather's violent temper, they could just leave it to him and enjoy the show from the sidelines.

He found Kahani outside their house and his stony expression was enough to get the man to hurry to the Hokage's office where Ashura was already waiting, having spent the time drawing more privacy seals than already in place. 

"What happened Shisui, Ashura?" Kagami asked, glancing between their blank expressions with worry.

"Hokage sama, Council member Shimura Danzo used a banned Uzumaki seal, the Complete Binding Seal on all ROOT members. The seal forces actions, redirects thoughts and can be used to destroy the bounded person's chakra system from a distance." Ashura said, his tone entirely emotionless. "In addition, the location of the seal on their tongue meant that they could not inform anyone about its existence and were forced to keep his secrets."

Kagami was pale as a sheet. With shaking hands he pried open Shisui's mouth to reveal the slowly dissolving seal along with Ashura's counter on his tongue. He let out a low moan of pain.

"I'm fine, ji san. Ashura broke the seal just now. It will dissolve in a few hours." Shisui said, grasping Kagami's shoulders comfortingly. Kagami just crushed him to his chest, one hand fisted tightly in the curly hair. 

" _Thank you,_ Ashura." He said through the tears and Ashura blushed at the acknowledgement.

"These seals. He can use them to force his agents to fight?" Sarutobi said, looking deathly pale.

"It depends on the location, Hokage sama. If it's across a tenketsu point, he could command their chakra reserves but complicated physical actions are beyond his control. He could force them to shield him or just hold their lives over your head because he can kill them easily enough."

"Then the ROOT agents captured by Uzushio were probably killed by this seal." The Hokage said, sounding horrified.

Ashura just nodded.

"Hiruzen, I'm going to kill him." Kagami's said, low and menacing. "I will make him sorry he ever messed with my family." The Killing Intent blanketed the room and Ashura felt his insides churn in fear.

"Kagami, we have to be patient-"

"HE ENSLAVED MY GRANDSON!"

"And he will face retribution but you heard what Ashura kun said. Are you willing to let the other children die for your revenge?"

"How dare you-"

"You. Will. Sit. Down. Kagami." The Hokage rose from hsi seat, his own power rising in challenge and Ashura could see why he was so feared despite his age. Even Kagami took a step back. "I have no intention of letting him go scot free but we will NOT be hasty!"

The atmosphere left both boys trembling slightly and Ashura grasped Shisui's hand, the weight calming him down as it had done in the ROOT headquarters. 

"Ashura kun." He said sharply, turning to the Uzumaki who jumped in surprise.

"Ye-yes Hokage sama."

"Where did Danzo get that seal from?"

"I think it was probably from the Snake Sannin."

"Orochimaru kun?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes. Ummm, he was an apprentice to the sealmaster who created the seal in the first place and got his notes upon his death." He hurried on when he saw the betrayal on the elder's face. "I don't think it was intentional, though. Orochimaru sama was also sealed with the Complete Binding Seal although his was on his temple. The location means that the seal could alter his beliefs and morals. It has already influenced him enough to disregard his own skill in Fuuinjutsu and pass off any sealing knowledge as unimportant."

The Hokage groaned lowly, his head in his hands as he tried to make sense of the terrible situation he had been handed. Even Kagami seemed to pity him when he asked Ashura, "Can you break that seal as well?"

On receiving an affirmative he turned back to the aged Kage. "Saru, we'll fix Orochimaru kun and see what to do from there, alright?" Without waiting for a reply he picked up one of the Hokage's missives and inked a quick message that he gave to the hawk.

An awkward silence fell over the room.

The Hokage was looking despondently down at his desk, his pipe dangling loosely from his lips as he struggled to collect his thoughts. Kagami was standing beside him and for once his blank mask was not in place, his indecision clear in his face as he looked at his old friend.

Ashura could feel the exhaustion in his limbs and he wanted so badly to close his eyes and let sleep take him away but he had a duty and couldn't bring himself to shirk it. With a sigh, he took out the seal breaker he had created, setting his ink and brushes on the floor while studying the seal in his hands.

"If the seal is affecting his thoughts, won't he refuse to have it broken?" Shisui's quiet voice rang out.

All eyes turned to him at his words before Kagami looked to Ashura. "I dont actually know." The sealmaster replied. "It would depend on the thoughts that have been affected but it would probably be better to err on the side of caution." His active chakra sense caught the barest fluctuation of the Snake Sannin's chakra. "Orochimaru sama is here."

Almost immediately, Orochimaru landed gracefully on thr window sill, golden eyes guarded as he took in the occupants of the room with a calculating air and afforded his Kage a mock bow. 

"Hokage sama. I received your missive." 

When Hiruzen did not reply immediately, Kagami sighed before speaking. "We have received information that you have been compromised by an enemy of the village. To remove the trigger, we will need your cooperation."

Orochimaru's expression did not change as he turned to eye the Uchiha. "I think I would know if I am compromised, Uchiha san. Besides I have not seen a mission outside the village in a month." He sneered faintly in the Hokage's direction who flinched imperceptibly.

"It is a seal and has been placed much before your last mission, Orochimaru kun." The Hokage attempted to say.

"And I assume that is why the little Uzumaki is here. I am hurt, Sensei. I thought you would at least believe me over someone who joined the village less than a month ago." Despite the mocking tone there was the faintest undercurrent of genuine hurt and Hiruzen had clearly heard it if his more obvious flinch was any indication.

"That's enough, Orochimaru. This is an order from your Kage. Your disobedience will imply treason." Kagami said evenly.

"You shouldn't be so quick to point fingers at traitors, Uchiha san, considering what your clan elders are considering with the last Sealmaster."

Ashura turned frightened eyes at the two Uchiha in the room who thankfully looked just as confused. Before either of them could voice an opinion, Shisui flicked a senbon at the snake biting through one of the privacy seals. At the same time, Orochimaru's chakra swelled in a jutsu that Ashura managed to contain only just in time. 

"I knew you didn't trust me, Sensei. I wonder what you believed me capable of when I actually turned into the monster you saw." He spat at his teacher.

"That's enough!" Kagami said, and to Ashura's horror, his eyes swirled into the familiar pinwheels of the Mangekyou Sharingan. He flinched back violently, squeezing his eyes shut immediately when Kagami named the jutsu. "Tsukiyomi."

"Ashura!" He heard Shisui rush to his side and felt himself fall to his knees but the impact didn't hurt. His mind was too occupied by terror, his brain filling with white noise as he tried to force himself to focus on the room. He thought he was choking but he wasn't sure and he thought there might have been someone speaking in his ear.

The voices melted into the background as he struggled to breathe again, the burn in his chest speaking of oxygen deprivation. He could hear Shisui trying to get him to match his inhales and he forced himself to follow it until the white noise faded out and he could concentrate on his surroundings again. He realised that he was on his knees with Shisui grasping his shoulders in front of him, his dark eyes filled with worry for him. "Are you back?" He asked softly.

"Yeah", Ashura managed hoarsely before clearing his throat and repeating, "Yeah, I'm alright." He forced himself to stand grabbing the desk to regain his balance when his knees buckled almost immediately. Gritting his teeth, he picked up the Fuuinjutsu equipment and walked towards where Orochimaru was lying unconscious on the ground, hair brushed from his temple to reveal the seal.

"Are you fine with completing this now, Ashura kun?" The Hokage asked sharply.

"Yes Hokage sama." 

He looked pointedly away from where Kagami was standing, unable to ignore the ugly doujutsu burning in his eyes and the technique he had used. Instead, he took his time painting the counter over the original. It was nerve-racking with an audience but he managed to ignore them for the most part. When it was complete, he gently pressed two fingers to the dual seals and muttered "Fuuin," pushing chakra into it at the same time. 

He staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on the desk. "The seal will dissolve in a few hours. He should be back to normal when he awakens." 

"Ashura-" Kagami tried to say, only for Ashura to flinch away from his reaching hand. "I'm sorry-"

Ashura interrupted him, looking annoyed at himself. "It's not- I'm sorry. I know you had to use it." He took a deep breath. "Can we please just finish this?"

Kagami looked away, "Is there anything else, Saru?" He asked wearily and even Shisui looked thoroughly fed up with the happenings. "Their infiltration is complete at least, right?"

"NO!" Ashura broke in, looking horrified. "You can't end the mission, Hokage sama! There are others who are sealed like Shisui in ROOT headquarters. We can't just leave them there!"

"Ashura's right, Hokage sama" Shisui said, pleadingly. "We haven't found more than circumstantial evidence against the other council members either. Please allow us to continue the mission."

"Ashura is never going to be allowed into ROOT fully without a seal and because he is a sealmaster, Danzo will never risk giving him one", Kagami argued. "You are putting yourself in needless danger. What if Danzo realises that your seal is broken? His first suspect will be Ashura."

Shisui shrank back, chastised but Ashura's mind was whirling. Vulnerable, Orochimaru had called him, but maybe he had been right. He might not be able to manipulate Danzo at his best but he was used to being underestimated and the man had all but dismissed him as a child from his very first meeting in the hospital. Moreover, he had all but extended an invitation to confide in the elder if he lost faith in the Uchiha. 

A plan began to form.

"Danzo already invited me to confide in him. 'As an orphan without a clan', he suggested that he would understand my situation best." He began, desperately.

"What." Kagami replied flatly.

"I can claim a change of heart easily. He is arrogant enough to believe it. Please let me continue the mission." Ashura begged. 

"That would mean the end of your partnership with Shisui kun as well." Hiruzen said slowly. "Are you comfortable with that?"

Ashura took a moment to shoot an apologetic look at Shisui before turning to the Kage and squaring his shoulders. "With all due respect, Hokage sama, it is unethical to leave anyone I can help in the situation the other ROOT agents are in. If it assists in the mission then so be it but I cannot live with my conscience if I don't attempt to help them."

While the Hokage looked slightly shocked at his vehemence, giving his assent rather sheepishly,, Kagami just shook his head in resignation. He couldn't understand Ashura's conviction either despite how much he admired it. But then again, Ashura had always been cut from different cloth than other shinobi. From the time he had stood before himself and Amahiko and swore that he wouldn't kill unless necessary, Kagami had recognised the glint in his eye. It had been one that Senju Hashirama had borne when he spoke of uniting the warring clans. He hadn't realised what it was until much later. It hadn't been determination, there were many with will and it hadn't been conviction, there were many with belief. Nor had it been strength for there were many with power. 

Instead, it had been empathy.

Despite, or maybe because of, the cruel world they lived in, people were drawn to those beautiful souls who maintained their purity amidst the macabre. The ones who bent and bruised and burnt and bled but never broke because they were there to put others together. They were the hope in dismal times, the courage against impossible odds and the strength amidst the helpless.

When he had first heard Ashura's nindo he had reserved his judgement for when it would be tested, for what is a weapon that does not see war? But even when faced with opposition, even when given every reason to rebel and raze, that boy- that wonderful kind hearted boy had chosen to protect and shield instead. When he had heard Ashura's story, he had finally realised just what Ashura's nindo meant for the villages. 

Because that glint in his eye meant change, it meant progress, it meant new beginnings and by the Gods, Kagami was awed to be able to witness it.


	13. Atrophied Alliances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> Been a while since I've updated but this chapter has been working against me and I even managed to accidentally delete the entire damned thing. The only reason it was actually updated is cuz it's a birthday gift for my sister. So, sorry. Give me comments and kudos and all that jazz.
> 
> Anywho, Happy Birthday, Deo the child, and as always,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> A mask I built to hide my pain,  
>  Where no one would hurt me ever again,  
>  But cracks are a craftsman's biggest curse,  
>  And hurt in light, only hurts far worse.

Ashura was more than slightly concerned that the little ramen stand had some kind of illegal additions in their food. Surely it wasn't possible for a meal to be as delectable as this? When he posited the theory to the owner, Teuchi and just received a secretive smile, he was quite certain his hypothesis was sound.

"Kushina chan asked me the exact question, you know?" Teuchi said, as he cleared away the first bowl and replaced it with another. "You two are definitely related."

"There has to be something in the food. I could barely finish one bowl of soup last night and I'm eating my second bowl of ramen right now. Appetites don't work like that!" Ashura complained without raising his head from the bowl. "More importantly, I don't have this kind of money!"

"Are we discussing Teuchi san driving half the village to bankruptcy?" The familiar lazy drawl precluded the silver haired Hatake's entrance. "Because if so, then I completely agree."

"I suppose you'll be wanting Miso ramen, Kakashi kun?" 

"Do I have a choice?" Kakashi complained, sliding into the seat beside Ashura, who patted his shoulder in shared commiseration. 

"Did you finish whatever Shisui needed?" He asked and Ashura stiffened imperceptibly. Kakashi immediately raised his hands in surrender. "You don't need to tell me! It seemed important enough to sacrifice sleep and food so if you were eating again, it probably meant you were done. I don't want to pry."

It was curious how much emotion Kakashi managed to show even with three-fourths of his face covered. His single eye showed nothing but sincerity and maybe a bit of worry and Ashura found himself wondering if the mask was to hide his over expressiveness or his emoting was to make up for the mask.

"It's fine." He said, letting a small smile show. "It's done, thankfully, but even if it wasn't, Kagami sensei and Shisui would have dragged me out of my work room." The smile turned more fond at the thought.

"That's good." Kakashi said, slightly embarrassed. He coughed. "You shouldn't forget yourself like that."

"Did Rin chan send you as messenger or something?" Ashura teased and chuckled when the exposed part of his face reddened.

"I don't disagree with her, you know. I can't imagine how it is to be in your situation but all of us, Minato sensei, Kushina nee san- we're all here for you, if you want to talk to or just spar against for a distraction." Kakashi said just as his own bowl was placed on the table.

'I don't deserve it.' Ashura wanted to say but he bit his tongue before he could voice the thought, recalling Kagami sensei's words. He took the distraction offered by the food gratefully and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

Kakashi was looking at him strangely though, glancing up from where the ramen was disappearing behind his masked mouth every so often and finally Ashura ventured a curious query.

"Is something wrong, Kakashi kun?"

He hesitated for a good while before mumbling into the broth, "You're the only one who isn't curious about looking under the mask. Even Minato sensei tried to catch me out while eating."

"Oh." He said, honestly baffled. "I thought you didn't want me to see?"

"But most people are at least slightly curious." Kakashi said, a bit exasperated and sounding as if he was regretting ever bringing up the topic.

"Most people's masks aren't visible. The fact that yours is, implies that you either want to make a big deal about hiding something or a big deal about revealing something. Since you didn't pull the mask down to eat, I figured it was the former." He shrugged.

"Hatake have enhanced senses, you know?" Kakashi complained half heartedly. 

"Then you wouldn't care who you were underneath. That might be the case but there is something else too." Ashura pointed out and Kakashi remained quiet as he contemplated his words.

The Uzumaki was aggravating to understand. He knew that the other had been considered a child prodigy, his skills spoke of genius level intelligence but somehow he had managed to gain the social skills others had failed to. Even Shisui, who he would argue was the most well adjusted of Konoha's prodigies, was frequently brash, usually employing humour to escape anything relating to feelings. 

Ashura on the other hand, despite his losses, wore his heart on his sleeve and employed nearly healthy coping mechanisms if his Fuuinjutsu was to be believed. He wanted to be jealous of Ashura but his genuinity made negative emotions rather hard to bring up and his frank yet understanding way of speaking was oddly comforting. It made him the perfect person to ask for help with social interaction even if he needed to actually verbalize the problem to solve it.

"How is Obito kun?" Ashura asked as they finished up their food and Kakashi stiffened.

"Maa maa, Ashura kun, you can drop the honorific for all of us, you know? We're all friends, na?" He said with a faux casual air about him. "Obito's fine. Training with Minato sensei with his new Mokuton and all." 

He intentionally dropped the information in the hope that it would distract Ashura from his annoyance at Minato sensei ignoring him, but of course the infuriating Uzumaki just skipped over it like it was no big deal. He cursed his intuition profusely.

"Are you upset, Kakashi ku- Kakashi?"

"So proud of you Ashura kun, you are learning, aren't you?" He returned sarcastically, ignoring the question.

"You are." Ashura said, thoughtfully. "Why? It's clearly not the new skills- I'm assuming those are because of Mada- him, anyway- but you are envious of Obito."

There was no judgement in his voice, either, Kakashi thought in annoyance. At least then he would have had a reason to get angry.

"I'm not jealous, Ashura." He said, rolling his eyes at the redhead for good measure.

"But something is upsetting you."

Kakashi let his eye curl upward into a smile. "Lots of things upset me. Obito, not training, not being hungry enough to eat another bowl of ramen, Obito, the war, Obito, my summons wanting anmitsu and not being able to steal Minato sensei's money to buy it and of course, Obito." 

Ashura just hummed thoughtfully. "You know my father was the Uzukage?"

"Yes?" Kakashi replied, tilting his head to one side, not relaxing despite the odd change in topic.

"I hated it." 

"Huh?"

"Being the Kage." Ashura didn't look at Kakashi as he spoke, trying fruitlessly to hide the tremble in his voice. He wondered if he would ever be able to speak about Uzushio without feeling that burning ache in his chest. "I hated that because my father was the Uzukage, it meant that he would have to love the village more than me. As Uzukage he ought to be impartial in all respects and put the village before any individual.

It meant to me, that when he taught me Fuuinjutsu he was preparing an asset for the village, when he sent me to study political science, he was grooming the next Uzukage and when he called me a genius, he wanted me on the field defending Uzu's shores. I didn't doubt that he loved me, cared for me in whatever capacity he was allowed to- he was my teacher as well -but I didn't know just how much he cared."

Ashura took a deep breath. He wasn't proud of his feelings. He ought to have known better than to think the worst of a pretty good situation altogether and now airing out his insecurities in front of the Hatake was already seeming to be a mistake.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked uncomfortably when the pause grew too long.

"He died." Ashura bit out but when Kakashi just looked confused, he continued. "In the end when Uzushio's survival hung in the balance, he chose me as the one to protect her. I wasn't the strongest shinobi and while I was a good sealmaster, I wasn't as experienced as so many others. Still he did his best to ensure I would live. In his last moments, he was father before Kage. It was something Kagami sensei told me. He looked at the same scene as an outsider and deemed my father's decisions cruel and while I can see where he comes from, I will always see it as a failure on my part to see underneath the underneath."

He eyed Kakashi sharply before shrugging casually. "Minato san may seem happier with Obito, he might be spending more time with him for whatever reason but just because you appear to be the second priority doesn't mean he doesn't put you first."

With that the Uzumaki put down the ryo on the counter, bowed to the chef and the stunned Hatake and ducked gracefully out of the shop.  
______________________________________________

Hours later, Ashura found himself comparing that meal to the one he was setting forth to partake in and cursing himself for ever considering that painful to endure.

The Uchiha clan compound loomed before the trembling Uzumaki. Despite the pale glow of the setting sun, it seemed far darker and even the fiery torches seemed exactly like Madara's flames itching to burn into his flesh.

It's fine, he thought, beginning to walk towards the tall, black gates. He could make out the silhouettes of guards manning their posts and when he reached out with his chakra sense, he could feel the fiery signature of flame inclined chakra users. 

He flinched.

'It's fine', he repeated in his mind. 'Kagami sensei would be there. So would Shisui. It wouldn't be as bad as it seemed.'

He took a few more calming breaths, letting his blank mask swallow the expressions on his face just as he sensed Kagami's familiar signature. 

He bowed at the guard. "Good evening, Uchiha san. I was extended an invitation to dine this evening with the Main family." He intoned, trying to maintain his blank mask. No doubt his expressionless visage was familiar to the Uchiha. 

"Good evening Uzumaki san. Uchiha Kagami san will direct you to the main house. Please be welcome in our dwelling tonight." The guard indicated his teacher standing silently beside him as he spoke and Ashura bowed his thanks.

"Come, Ashura." Kagami spoke gruffly. He knew what Ashura's masks looked like and he could see the panicked undercurrent that the Uzumaki was feeling. Unfortunately he also knew how stubborn his pupil was and was well aware that he wouldn't back down. Instead, he let his hand fall on the thin shoulder, ignoring the immediate flinch, and directing him inside the compound. It was worth it when he felt the tension abate slightly with Ashura unconsciously curling into the non violent touch. 

"Is it appropriate to call you sensei at dinner? Or must I use another honorific?" Ashura asked.

"Whatever you want is fine. I can't see anyone making a fuss about it." He wasn't technically lying. The other elders would be annoyed but they would inform him of their displeasure in private and if nothing else, Kagami was more than willing to deal with that to afford Ashura some familiarity. 

"Fugaku and his wife are fair and I'm completely on your side. You only have to worry about the elders. Be polite and don't make any promises." He warned when the main house came into sight. "If you are uncomfortable, let me know."

The wan smile did very little to soothe his worry but he couldn't argue against the determination that set the aquamarine eyes ablaze, especially when Ashura whispered fiercely, "I'll be fine." 

Kagami wasn't entirely sure it was just to convince him.

Ashura would never dare to say it out loud, given their fierce rivalry, but the Uchiha compound was very similar to the Hyuuga one. Traditional and quaint, with the main house located in the heart, the colour scheme was the main difference. While the Hyuuga compound had been muted with light browns, the Uchiha had chosen deep maroons and black to hue their compound. It made for an incredible sight in the flickering torchlight catching the edge of colour every so often. Fire natured chakra signatures were common in the clan, the occasional buzz of a lightning nature or heaviness of an earth nature making their way into Ashura's hypersensitive senses. It was, he thought ruefully, as far away from home as he could get, where the primary natures were wind and water. The Main House had seven chakra signatures and while Ashura could sense Shisui and Itachi, the unknown signatures kept his guard up.

They were met at the door by the Uchiha matriarch, who welcomed them with a gentle smile that surprised Ashura. Her pale skin and dark hair accentuated her ethereal beauty but there was a tenuous strength in her eyes that spoke of her prowess as a kunoichi.  
She led them to the dining hall and with every step, Ashura felt his stomach tighten and the nausea build. Nevertheless, he kept his unease off his face taking strength in the familiar chakra in the room. 

"Uchiha sama," Ashura bowed to the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, and received an answering nod from the imposing shinobi in turn. He turned to the trio of wizened nin sitting imperiously beside the man and bowed once more almost quirking his lips when he felt a flash of deja vu at their ignoring him. "Thank you for inviting me into your home."

"It is a pleasure to meet Konoha's newest shinobi and if the rumours aren't untrue, the youngest jounin as well?" Fugaku spoke, a calculating glint in his eyes.

Ashura inclined his head in reply. For a moment the slight noise of the bells in his hair was the only sound in the room. Then, one of the Elders sniffed disdainfully. 

"With barely a mission as well," a hook-nosed man said. "In our day, jounin exams were a gruelling task. That vest wasn't just handed to inexperienced children. I don't know what Sarutobi was thinking."

Ashura bristled slightly at the insult but did not reply. Perhaps if he didn't get a reaction, he would desist. Unfortunately Shisui did not seem to have gotten the memo as he threw an arm around Ashura's shoulder in solidarity before defending him.

"Hotaru sama, Shura is better than me. He definitely deserves to be a jounin. Besides," he continued slyly, "it was Danzo who decided the promotion."

Kagami's expression soured at the name and Ashura caught the tightening of Shisui's smile as well. The Elders' reactions weren't as muted, though whether it was to the nickname or Shisui's words, was another matter. The woman in particular seemed scandalized, directing her ire at Kagami.

"Mind your grandson. He forgets his decorum." And turning to Shisui, " Sit down and behave, boy."

He didn't make a face at her sour expression but it was a near thing. He knew better than to interrupt them but seeing Ashura looking so unlike himself was worrying. He hadn't missed the panicked flinch at his touch and he could see the defensive cast to his actions.

Despite being chastised, he kept his hand on Ashura's shoulder, directing him to the seat beside his own and hoped that Kagami would take the hint and sit on his other side. He was surprised to catch a grateful nod from the Uchiha clan head and suppressed a smile. It looked like Ashura had even more allies than even he knew. 

Ashura wasn't the kind of person to draw allies through pretty words and promises despite his charisma. Instead he showed his sincerity through his actions and behaviour. From his maneuvering with the Hyuuga after returning their doujutsu to the breaking of his seal and even the promise to keep the Uchiha clan secrets despite being tortured by the very same techniques, he inspired loyalty. Despite the Elders' posturing, Fugaku sama clearly saw the sincerity for what it was and was willing to repay it.

"I daresay you know my heir, Itachi already." Fugaku waited for the nod, "my wife, Mikoto, Kagami and Shisui, you are familiar with and the Uchiha clan Elders, Uchiha Hotaru, Uchiha Asahi and Uchiha Hitomi."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ashura replied politely and Shisui had to bite his tongue to avoid snorting when the Elders eyed him balefully, obviously disgruntled at his courtesy.

"We shall begin the meal." Hotaru said imperiously, and Shisui barely had a second to grab Ashura's hand in warning. 

"For Izanagi", the table intoned and eight Sharingans activated at the blessing. Thankfully Ashura's eyes were tightly closed when he looked up to meet the crimson gaze of his clansmen. Even Itachi's Sharingan was active, Shisui reflected sadly. He had hoped that it would be a while before the pacifistic little boy would experience anything worth activating the doujutsu but it seemed not to be and he mourned Itachi's innocence.

A few seconds of silence and chakra bled out of his eyes as he squeezed Ashura's hand to let him know to open his eyes. He could see his grandfather eyeing the other Elders, almost daring them to call out the Uzumaki on his fear of their doujutsu. Shisui himself caught Fugaku's eye and was gratified to see the sorrow in his eyes as he looked at Ashura's bowed head.

The conversation was limited to the perfunctory condolences and a brief discussion of the warfront, that Shisui was surprised to find Ashura was familiar with. The Elders conversed amongst themselves, occasionally eyeing them as the spoke but they did not interrupt the conversation, for which he was grateful.

"Oh! Are those Genjutsu bells in your hair?" Mikoto asked startling Shisui out of his thoughts. He hadn't noticed the delicate golden bells, nestled in the root of Ashura's braid. They were beautiful works of craftmanship, and contrasted well with the deep crimson of the boy's hair.

"Yes, Mikoto sama." Ashura replied, startled, one hand lifting slightly to touch them. "Accessories like these are- were common in Uzu."

"I've seen Kushina wearing them sometimes. I was intrigued."

"Accessories?" Shisui asked, curiously. "Like jewellery?"

"Jewellery is common too, especially ones with pearls, but I was referring to the ones worn in hair. Long hair is not uncommon among Uzu shinobi and while it was tightly bound while fighting, most used some kind of accessory to protect it." Ashura appeared far more at ease than he had been all evening as he spoke. "I wore chakra ribbons in my hair on our mission to Suna. They would shock anyone who tried to grab it. I knew a kunoichi who wore poisoned senbon in her plaits and Mito sama herself wore explosion tags on her twin buns."

"Those were explosion tags?" Kagami sensei said, sounding slightly panicked. 

"Yes? What's wrong?" 

"I just realised how close we came to death just because of a prank." He said faintly. "Never mind."

"Why are they called Genjutsu bells?" Itachi asked, choosing to ignore Kagami's interruption.

Ashura just shook his head in reply, showing how the bells rang more than a second after he stopped moving. "It's an auditory hallucination. It won't work on a focussed enemy but if I'm lucky, a second of distraction could confuse my opponent enough to give me the upper hand."

"Of course Itachi would show interest in the Genjutsu aspect of it. His own achievements in the art are unparalleled." Elder Hitomi cut in airily. "He will most likely be ready for a promotion in the next Chunnin exams too, won't you?" She said with a faint undercurrent of dominance that had Itachi acquiescing without a word.

"One of the youngest active Sharingans as well." Elder Hotaru grunted. "It is only fitting for the Clan heir."

Itachi's smile was becoming rather fixed and Shisui longed to throw his plate at the smug faces in front of him.

"If I'm not mistaken, Shisui was the youngest active Sharingan user though, wasn't he?" Elder Asahi said, but he wasn't looking at Shisui, who followed his gaze to Ashura. "It was at six years of age."

Shisui ground his teeth. He wasn't sure if they were trying to ruin his friendship with Ashura or trying to confirm his distaste for the Sharingan but from the Uzumaki's trembling hands, he knew that it was working. 

"It's a good thing that I barely use it then. It's almost like I'm making up for geting it so early. Besides I like Shunshin better. Don't you remember, Shura, our final maneuver in Suna with your seals? Now that was a fun technique." He flashed Ashura a smile that was just this side of feral to be reassuring and he was rewarded with a small grin from his partner.

"I heard you were a sealmaster of some repute. That is true, then?" Fugaku said, effectively cutting into the Elders' interruption.

"He's amazing, Fugaku sama. Even while fighting another opponent, there's always a barrier seal protecting my back."

Itachi looked intrigued. "Those are protection seals aren't they?"

"Yes. They were mostly my father's speciality but I have a fair understanding of them. They protect against physical and chakra attacks. In my opinion, they are some of the best parts of Fuuinjutsu. Especially the combined ones, which towered over the cliffs in Uzushio and protected the village from storms and tsunamis. They were like a beacon from inside the village, a deep blue that melded into the sea and sky from the outside and made it appear that the entire village was underwater."

"And you can draw these seals?" Itachi asked and Shisui did a double take at the blatant awe in his little cousin's voice.

"Some of them, yes. But the largest ones would require extensive study because I'm not as experienced with Barrier Seals."

"What's your speciality?"

"Seal Breaking." Shisui said immediately, sending a sly wink to Ashura who coloured faintly. "But he's also amazing at Dimensional Seals."

"And just how do you know that?" Elder Hotaru said, coldly.

"I told him." Ashura replied just as icily though he still spoke softly. "I was discussing seal theory with Namikaze san and ended up explaining the basics to Shisui as well."

Elder Asahi snorted disbelievingly but Elder Hitomi looked thoughtful. "I presume you will be taking an apprentice."

"I will, eventually." Ashura said, slightly bewildered at the topic change.

"That is excellent news. You have clearly discussed your work with Shisui in some detail. Why don't you make it an official apprenticeship? It will symbolise the start of an alliance between our clan and yours."

Shisui bristled in offence on Ashura's behalf but his ure subsided when he saw the cold fury sparking in the Uzumaki's eye. His fists were clenched and trembling with rage and his lips were pressed into a tight line.

"I will excuse that ... suggestion as ignorance." He took a slow breath. "In my ... village, there is nothing more inappropriate than interfering with the choosing of an apprentice by a master. Please refrain from doing so." 

The Elder looked grossly insulted and Elder Hotaru seemed furious at his daring. Shisui himself wanted to stand up and applaud but he rather feared that it wouldn't be particularly well received in the current tension of the room.

"I merely thought that as the last of your clan, you wouldn't be willing to let your clan secrets be lost in case of your passing. After all, our profession lends itself to a rather high mortality rate." Elder Hitomi said with an arrogant sniff.

"I have failsafes." Ashura bit out. "And while Shisui is a very dear friend, I would not take him as a apprentice, simply because he wouldn't enjoy the theoretical aspects of the art. Besides as you said, I'm the bearer of my clan's secrets and therefore I am responsible for choosing who I reveal them to." He said through gritted teeth, his timidity forgotten in the hot rush of fury.

"And what about the Uchiha clan secrets you possess? Are we to just accept that you know of them?" She pressed.

"Hotaru, don't you dare-" Kagami all but growled.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan, Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu?" The aforementioned pressed, ignoring Kagami's glare.

Mikoto looked horrified, whispering the techniques in shock and pity but Shisui only had eyes for Ashura who had flinched back from the accusations, his face white. 

"I won't reveal the secrets to outsiders." Ashura managed to spit out.

"And we are to just accept this? Fugaku, it is only fitting that we posses Uzumaki clan secrets to make up for his knowledge."

"You have no right." Shisui said, tired of holding back, his Killing Intent rising. "No right whatsoever to ask anything of Ashura when you know how he came by that knowledge.

"You are directly violating the clan law instituted by both the Uchiha and Senju when the village was founded, by even asking for another clan's secrets." Itachi said quietly.

The Elders scoffed. "Kagami, Fugaku control your wards."

"What is there to control when we agree with what they say?" Kagami spat viciously.

"Fugaku, he allied with the Hyuuga a while back. What other reason would the Hyuuga ally with an Uzumaki if not his selling of our secrets?" Elder Asahi said, witha look of disgust. 

"That is none of your business-" Shisui began but was cut off when the clan head rose from his seat imperiously, his eyes morphing into the Sharingan.

"That is enough!" He thundered. "You shame the clan by insulting a guest. One who has done us a favour, no less. You will cease your questions immediately."

He turned to the trembling Uzumaki, who flinched at the crimson eyes, prompting him to turn them off guiltily. "I apologise for my clansmen."

It seemed however, that even his courtesy had fled in the face of his panic when he did not respond to the apology. Kagami's furious expression was answer enough and when he brusquely stated that they were leaving, no one moved to stop them. 

Thankfully Ashura recognised them enough to allow himself to be led out of the main house and into the frigid air. He was shivering, faint tremors wracking his body that set the bells in his hair chiming softly and his eyes were glazed and unfocused. Just as they began to walk to the gate of the compound, Ashura grasped Shisui's shirt weakly. 

"W-wait." He said. "Don't leave the compound. I can use th-this." 

Shisui was confused but Kagami just looked resigned. "I thought as much." He said sadly. "I hoped you wouldn't but you're right. It would be the easiest way to prove you had a change of heart about the Uchiha."

"What are you talking about?" Shisui asked, a bad feeling beginning to creep up his spine.

"D-danzo." Ashura whispered. "I can say I fought with the Uchiha and ask him to break our partnership."

"Oh." 

Shisui tried not to show his disappointment on his face but Ashura read it anyway and put his arms around him in a weak hug. "I know we won't be an official team but we're still partners. We are just meeting in the middle of this mission. You working outside-in and me working inside-out."

He unsealed two scrolls and handed them to Kagami with a grim smile. "Postage scrolls." He said by way of an explanation. "You know how they work, Kagami sensei, but I think it would be safer if I did the sending and you reply only if it's an emergency. One is for the Hokage and one is for Shisui. I'll send any reports through them." 

He still felt shaky and the faint edge of panic was still very much present but he knew that it would only add to the image he was trying to portray. 

"Be safe," Kagami says, squeezing his shoulder.

Shisui gives him a bear hug, resolutely ignoring the wet patch on his shirt. "Come back."

"I will", he promises them and with a flash of red, he was gone.

______________________________________________________

He landed a bit away from the entrance to ROOT headquarters, beside the Hiraishin marker he had hidden in the trees. 

He forced himself out of the mission mindset, letting desperation and fear play out on his face. Vulnerable, he thought, give Danzo what he wants. 

He was accosted by a blank masked operative almost immediately upon entering and he jumped when they touched his shoulder. 

"I need to see Shimura sama." He said. "He told me that I could talk to him if I needed to."

"You will wait here." The unnamed shinobi said before striding down the passageway they had come. Ashura watch them go, wondering whether the shinobi even knew a life outside of that slavery seal. He wondered if they wanted to be free like Shisui or had just stopped searching for someone to help. He wondered how many more faceless shinobis he would find in the maze of tunnels that stretched out in front of them and felt his resolve steel.

He was here for them and he wouldn't let them down.

All to soon, his guide returned and directed him to the same office as the previous times and disappeared with a small puff of smoke.

"Uzumaki Ashura." Danzo said, staring impassively.

"Shimura sama." Ashura said, his voice more timid than usual. He remembered the hateful Sharingan eyes glaring at him and the panic at hearing the techniques that had been turned against him. "I would like to ask a favour of you."

He pushed aside the thoughts of Shisui defending him, of how he had staved off the panic attack by just being there. He couldn't afford to falter. 

"I would like my partnership with Uchiha Shisui to be terminated."

"Oh?" Danzo raised an eyebrow. "And what brought about this change of heart?"

Ashura didn't even have to fake his indignation. "They demanded Uzumaki clan secrets in exchange for the knowledge on their techniques and attempted to force me to take Shisui as an apprentice. They," he shivered slightly. "They clearly support Mad- that man and refused to believe anything I said. I beg you, Shimura sama, please let me work separately from them."

"I understand." Danzo said, looking grave but Ashura caught the gleam in his eye. "I warned you, Ashura. Right from the beginning. I will do my best but the Hokage is stubborn. I will need your full cooperation, Ashura." 

The Uzumaki just nodded, pretending not to see the quietly triumphant look in those cold eyes and the way they seemed to bore into his head. The plan had worked.

The bait was set, now for the trap.


	14. Seclusion and Sentiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> The first of what I estimate to be three ROOT chapters. This is the first arc that I have an actual idea of what I'm writing so hurray! Please give me kudos and comments, they make my day and motivate me to write faster. Don't forget to,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon
> 
> P.S: I also have a Shikamaru time travel fic that I wrote for fun so check it out if you're interested!

> He has an army of puppet soldiers,  
>  Dancing to his whims,  
>  But the General leads beside the flames,  
>  And they're waiting to push him in.
> 
> He has an army of marionettes,  
>  Strings strapped to their chest,  
>  But when the puppets turn on him,  
>  He'll find no toys to help.

"As you are going to be without a partner, you will have to be upto an adequate level to participate in solo missions. Therefore you will have to be trained. As a member of ROOT, you will be unseen and unheard, a support of the village and nothing more. A tree is only as strong as the roots that support it and I will not have you be the weak link." Danzo stared piercingly at the Uzumaki.

He could see the after effects of a panic attack in the pallor of his skin and the trembling of his limbs, most likely the reason he had abandoned the Uchiha in the first place. His lip curled scornfully at the traditional clan outfit and the ornamented braid. All of that would have to go. A shinobi was an assassin in the shadows. He couldn't afford to allow himself an identity, no matter how prolific. 

He greedily took in the seals marked up and down the pale arms. While he couldn't read them himself, he would ensure that every possible use would be wrung out of each of them. It had been a while since an Uzumaki sealmaster had afforded their skills to Konoha and he would not let it go to waste. The thought of all that knowledge at the tips of his fingers left him nearly giddy and if he played his cards right the village would greatly benefit from it.

He turned back to the red haired child. "You will need to be trained if you do not want to embarrass the village. That will be possible only with a rigorous training routine for which you will stay within ROOT headquarters. Make sure to ensure your previous residence is made aware of the change."

Ashura wasn't prepared for that. He had anticipated a change in routine certainly and a certain amount of distance from Shisui but he hadn't expected the complete isolation.

'It's a tactic', his mind whispered, sounding like his father as he taught him diplomacy. 'By isolating you, he is trying to ensure that he is the only one you can depend on.' 

"Yes, Shimura sama." He said, horrified indecision warring on his features. It wasn't even an act at that moment. His mind flashed back to the months of solitude he had spent in that cave and its excruciating emptiness. He almost took his acquiescence back but the thought that he would have to disappoint Shisui and Kagami sensei stayed his mouth.

"Then follow Kinoe. I must try and arrange issues with the Hokage." With an annoyed huff and a piercing look at his newest recruit, the Elder left the two boys alone. 

Kinoe was only slightly taller than him and though he was stocky, his face bore the sort of unnatural thinness that spoke of long-term malnutrition. His face was uncovered, unlike the other ROOT agents he had seen and his childlike features were fixed into the blank countenance that Ashura recognised from his own mission masks. It chilled him to see the boy so comfortable in the emotionless expression.

Ashura ducked his head in a brief greeting. He felt the fatigue of the entire day beginning to weigh him down and he wanted to do nothing more than sleep for a while. Still, if he was going to infiltrate ROOT, he would have to gain information and he could only do that by talking to the other children. 

"My name is Uzumaki Ashura. Thank you for your assistance."

"Danzo sama gave me the name Kinoe." The boy replied with the slightest inflection to his words that might have been confusion. "Your gratitude is unnecessary. I am merely following orders."

"Umm, right." Ashura replied awkwardly.

"Follow me." 

The tunnels were just as discombobulating as before but without Shisui they seemed to loom even more menacingly. Ashura tucked his head into the collar of his shirt as he followed the ROOT agent. He was already on edge after dinner and the unfriendly environment was only exacerbating his anxiety. Along with the thought of another stint of solitude meant that Ashura recognised the signs of a panic attack long before it came.

This time when Ashura felt the panic attack he forced it down as viciously as he could. He was in enemy territory without back up. He couldn't break down until he was alone. 

Thankfully, he was directed to a room free of other chakra signatures. It was bare, and even the bed was stripped bare of anything but the plain white streets. But at that moment, Ashura didn't care, black spots swimming in and out of his vision. He thought he might have dismissed Kinoe, because when he reached out blindly with his chakra sense, there was no foreign signatures around him. 

He could feel himself falling to his knees but the impact didn't hurt, his mind too occupied by terror, his brain filling with white noise as he tried to focus on the room. He thought he was choking but he wasn't sure.

He tried to remember Shisui's comforting grip or Kagami sensei's calming words but they slipped through his mind like water through his fingers. The voices melted into the background as he struggled to breathe again, the burn in his chest speaking of oxygen deprivation. Somehow through the fog, he heard the faint tinkling of bells and it allowed him the briefest moment of respite from the panic. 

_"It was your mother's." His father had said, with tears in his eyes as he had given the bells to him. "Wear it well and remember her."_

He somehow managed to drag in the tiniest gasp of breath and miraculously, it managed to shock his body into allowing more air into his lungs. The fog was rising slowly, and he shook his head lightly, letting the comforting chime ground him further into reality. His face was wet with tears that he swiped at furiously, unwilling to let himself fall apart any further. 

"Are you injured?" He heard suddenly and swung around so fast, he felt his neck crick.

"Kinoe." Ashura whispered hoarsely. "How long-?"

"Do you require medical assistance?" The other just said monotonously.

"No. No, I'm fine." Ashura said trying and failing to find Kinoe's chakra. "Are you suppressing your chakra signature?"

"No. We are not permitted to hide within the headquarters. Danzo sama must be able to find anyone at a moment's notice, should he require it." 

Now that he actively searched for it, Ashura could feel the slightly denser natural chakra where Kinoe was standing. It was faint enough that he must have missed it while panicking but it was still present, with the slightest sheen of water chakra that suggested a secondary affinity. But if he wasn't suppressing it, that meant that his signature was almost entirely based on nature chakra and the only person he had ever felt the similar signature from was Obito 

"You have Mokuton." Ashura deduced. "Not entirely natural but more natural than whatever Mad-" He broke off, unwilling to spread more secrets. 

"Yes to both your theories. You seem distressed. Are you injured?" The other said, not seeming excited that he possessed a nearly dead ability.

"No, not- It was a panic attack." Ashura sighed. At least he wasn't pitying him but he felt something twist inside him when he realised that his apathy was probably because Danzo had conditioned him that way.

"It will be dangerous in battle to be so compromised." 

"I know. I'm working on it. Kaga- someone suggested I speak to a Yamanaka about it." Ashura replied shortly.

"It will be easier to suppress your emotions." He said and it was so matter-of-fact that Ashura cringed away from the boy.

"Easier, maybe." He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the bone deep exhaustion. "But never better. If I don't care for what I'm doing then I might as well be a shadow clone, a puppet in someone else's hand. I will not let myself lose the essence of humanity."

He pretended to not see the confusion in Kinoe's eyes as he tried to make sense of options he hadn't believed were real. 

"Danzo sama", he began slowly, and Ashura nearly smiled at the inflection in his tone. "He is an adequate leader. He directs us to perform our duties."

"And who directs him?" Ashura stated plainly and it may have been dangerous to speak like that so soon after arriving, before even vetting the boy and the depths of his loyalty but he wanted Kinoe to see his point, if only because the other was still subjugated by that cursed seal.

"What?"

"Shimura sama may be an adequate leader," and how it hurt to even say that, "but even his directions stem from an emotional response."

"His directions are for the betterment of Konoha." Kinoe drew himself up as he said coldly. "That is all."

"Why Konoha? Why not any other village or the entire Elemental Nation or the Daimyo's court? He is loyal to Konoha," or appears to be at least, "and loyalty is based in an emotion, is it not?"

"I don't- I was told to suppress any and all emotions. What are you saying?" Kinoe said, sounding terrified at having to break the orders given to him but Ashura pushed further.

"Are you loyal to Konoha, Kinoe? Or to Danzo or yourself? Are you even allowed to be loyal?"

That seemed to be the final straw for the boy, because he simply turned and fled, his confusion and fear written blatantly over his hitherto blank mien. Ashura just sighed and hoped he hadn't pushed too far but if he got some of them thinking, it would allow him to remove a few of their seals without having to fight them when they inadvertently supported Danzo. 

The ink and paper beside the bed reminded him of the letter he had to write and he winced at the thought of Kushina's eventual blow up at his unexpected change of residence. At least, he considered, trying and failing to subdue the tears at the stifling silence engulfing him, it meant he wouldn't have to suffer through it.  
______________________________________________________

Surprisingly it wasn't very difficult to fall into a pattern. He trained with the other recruits, biting his cheek to stop speaking when some of them came back from assassination missions he knew were well out of Danzo's jurisdiction. He always knew when it happened, he could see it in the glazed eyes and trembling fingers of the inexperienced or the self hatred in the eyes of the older children. 

He couldn't really say that he was doing any better. He had had more than eight panic attacks and had staved off several others. It was getting steadily worse and while he knew he needed help, he didn't know how else to get it beyond not thinking about it. Still, he had gotten much better at hiding it though, and he doubted even Shisui would be able to catch his momentary lapse of control.

It turned out, from his observations, that Shisui and himself, along with the other clan children, were not the true ROOT operatives. Oh, they had been branded with that seal but only to ensure that they didn't speak about what was happening within ROOT headquarters, a task they were expected to follow anyway. It was only because Shisui was attempting to betray Danzo and tell the Hokage, that he had even encountered the seal. If Ashura were to make a guess, he would say that they were the front to show the Hokage, and the actual ROOT soldiers were the shinobi no one would miss- orphans and MIA shinobi. 

Even amongst them, he could see the differences. Those that had been enlisted after they had begun their academy training or even the more cynical ones knew better than to trust Danzo implicitly. They were willing soldiers of Konoha and while they were loyal to the Elder, they were liable to question his more drastic decisions. They were also the ones on whom Danzo tightened the Complete Binding Seal painfully. Ashura could see it in the way their limbs stiffened and their faces blanked as they moved woodenly.

Then there were the ones who had been completely indoctrinated. The ones who had been raised in ROOT and didn't know any different. They were the ones who were entirely loyal to Danzo, the ones who followed his orders to suppress any and all emotion, the ones who seemed more puppet than human.

The ones Danzo sent on suicide missions.

It hadn't been a surprise more than it had confirmed the council member's level of depravity to Ashura. Unfortunately, such missions were a sad reality of their world. Like child assassination missions and honeypot interrogations, Ashura was sorry to say that he knew and even understood their importance to an extent. That's not to say that he didn't have plans and counterplans to remove their necessity in the future, but he did understand and respected those shinobi who chose to give their life for the village.

But the key word was 'chose'. Could it even be considered a choice when they didn't know that they could deny it? These shinobi, _children_ , couldn't fathom a world beyond the absolute orders that Danzo bestowed upon them like a macabre present and it broke Ashura's heart when one of them simply disappeared from the training room and their possessions were collected to burn. He could see how the older children simply turned away from the sight, too numbed to even mourn silently.

He didn't, _couldn't_ do anything beside watch them and collect information to send to the Hokage and hope that it meant they would be safer in the future. 

Under Danzo's orders, he had been isolated from the other recruits, having been given a separate room and allowed to associate with them only during training. No doubt it was because Danzo didn't have any way to ensure his loyalty without the Complete Binding Seal. It meant that he had only limited exposure to ROOT secrets in training, a time during which they were so tightly policed, he dared not breathe against regulations.

Training was brutal, Ashura found. He had always been smaller than his opponents and he had overcome that with Fuuinjutsu instead of a superior Taijutsu style or a weapon. However, when put in a training centre and ordered to knock out his opponent with nothing more than his Taijutsu, there was no doubt that he would be at a disadvantage. He fought as best he could and managed to take out several opponents, by moving under their blocks and using his superior knowledge of pressure points. His use of Uzushio traditional styles also threw them but several of them were far superior and he was often the one left bleeding and battered to be patched up by the medics while he tried to ignore Danzo's disapproving glare burning into his face.

It came to a head during one such fight. His enormous opponent, he might have thought him an Akimichi if not for the lack of clan markings, threw him around painfully enough that Ashura spat blood onto the floor while he attempted to get under his guard. He had managed to paralyze the other's right arm only to receive a dislocated shoulder from an impressive kick that flung him backwards out of the ring.

"That's enough." Danzo's cool voice rang through the cavern. There was an immediate and unnatural silence. "Ashura, follow me. The rest of you, continue." 

A slight chill shot down his spine. From what little he had managed to gather from the others, Danzo offered private training to only Kinoe and knowing about the boy's Mokuton, Ashura could guess as to its reason. There was nothing he had done to stand out in training, remaining more or less in the middle of the pack and even keeping his iryo-ninjutsu a secret. His Fuuinjutsu was his only singularity and in that he had far surpassed anything Danzo could teach him.

Nevertheless, he dragged himself to his feet, groaning slightly at the pain as the room spun around him. A medic moved silently to his side, and he shifted uncomfortably as the foreign chakra soothed his injuries before he followed the Elder down the corridor. 

Thankfully they didn't seem to be going to the office where he knew they were allotted missions. Instead, Danzo led him to the weapons room.

"You will be taught to weild a weapon to supplement your pathetic Taijutsu." He said, moving purposefully through the room.

"I can weild a one handed Uchigatana and I had learnt to use a naginata as well. They are light enough that I can use them in tandem with my seals." 

Danzo made an irritated sound. "Under that mask you are not a seal master. Your style is too definitive and I will not have it traced back to Konoha." He stopped at a low hanging shelf and picked up a pair of knives that made Ashura's stomach roil. "I think a pair of brass knuckles will do sufficiently with your knowledge or vital points." 

The Uzumaki felt his heart clench and all he could think of was Arashi and Ichigo exclaiming over the brass knuckles in Miyuki baa-san's shop so long ago. 

They had never gotten to try them. 

"I- I can't, Shimura sama." He managed to get out, not lifting his gaze from the weapons as he tried desperately to breathe through the fog occluding his thoughts. He could feel the irritated stare of the Elder on him.

"That was not an option. Collect the weapon and return to the training ro-"

"If I may, Danzo sama," He was interrupted, by the voice of the medic who had just treated Ashura. She had clearly followed them from the training room. "His arm has residual nerve damage." She continued, tone inflectionless. "I wouldn't suggest a specialty weapon when something simpler like senbon would work better." 

Ashura didn't dare show his gratitude but he tensed as Danzo glared at him. "What nerve damage?"

"It's from Madara." He said, ignoring how his voice broke over the last word and the disbelieving gasp from the medic. "I can't carry heavy items or use too much strength but I can draw seals so my fighting style wasn't affected."

"Mio, leave." Danzo barked at the medic and she fled thankfully. "You," he turned slowly to Ashura, "Return to your quarters and complete your seals for the day. Tomorrow onwards you will train with senbon and shuriken in addition to Taijutsu." 

The Uzumaki just bowed, muttering an incomprehensible acknowledgement and left, relief colouring his pale features.

Even after more than a month, he hadn't been allowed in the dormitories. While the distrust may have been counterproductive to his mission, he found himself grateful for the reprieve that allowed him to send reports to the Hokage. He even wrote letters to Shisui and while he knew that he wouldn't likely recieve a reply, he found it cathartic to share his thoughts with a friend. He had written a few letters to Kagami sensei as well as one to Kushina with enough double speak that she would recognise it as a coded letter and not make a fuss over his absence. Any other acquaintances were under the impression that he was on a long term mission outside the village according to Danzo. No doubt, news of his 'death' or missing status would soon circulate, allowing Danzo to keep him within ROOT.

He sighed despondently as he sat on the bed, sealing paper in front of him. It wasn't the best situation and he hated that Kakashi and Obito would have to believe he was dead but he didn't have a choice. His resolve that may have weakened in the earliest days swamped in loneliness, had strengthened with every dark swipe of ink on tongues and one or two strategically positioned bandages over tenketsu points that he knew covered seals he didn't want to see. 

The brush and ink was familiar in his hand as he sketched generic explosion tags and storage seals. This was yet another thing that Danzo had demanded. The creation of seals were strictly regulated in Konoha and while sealmasters were not policed, the creation of more than a certain number of explosion seals was to be logged with the Hokage as well as the person who owned them. Ashura had managed to inform the Hokage and received a blanket pardon but it was just another example of Danzo's disregard for the rules he did not deem necessary.

It was several hours after he had begun, when he was interrupted by the soft, soothing chakra signature of Kinoe. 

"You are to go to the dining hall for your meals from tonight onwards." 

Ashura looked up in surprise but just nodded, leaving the completed seals where he was told to and followed the Mokuton user. The need to talk to someone other than the blank walls of his room itched under his skin. Even if it was just a greeting, he couldn't take much more of the silence that grated on his nerves. At the very least, he hoped that he could get a chance to thank the medic, Mio, for her assistance.

Kinoe was the extent of his new acquaintances and he was silent as a ghost in his interactions. They hadn't spoken much beyond their memorable first meeting but one conversation stood out in Ashura's mind. It hadn't been much after he had attempted to sway the boy's thinking but he had been woken from a relatively peaceful sleep by his tear stricken face and had rushed to comfort him despite his skittishness. Kinoe had cried silently into Ashura's shoulder before turning his gaze to the red head and asking in the most broken voice Ashura had ever heard, "is this sadness?"

"Yes", Ashura had whispered back, feeling like his heart would break for the boy who couldn't even cry because he didn't recognise his tears. He recognised the guilt even if Kinoe didn't and he hated the man who had made it so that he couldn't even mourn them. "I know it hurts, but the person you're crying for? They deserve it. And frankly speaking, so do you." 

He wondered if Kinoe regretted coming to his room that night or maybe just felt embarrassed but he never pushed the topic, letting familiarity comfort the other. He may have relaxed a little, Ashura could see it in the slight slump of his shoulders as they walked together, but he was very far from being comfortable in the Uzumaki's presence.

"Are all the operatives expected to dine together?" Ashura asked, quietly.

"Yes. Aside from the ones on missions or injured, we are expected to eat in the dining hall without fail. A bell will be rung to let you know when mealtimes are." Kinoe whispered back. 

"Are there a lot of operatives on missions right now?" Ashura asked, hoping it would come off as innocent enough to warrant an answer. Thankfully Kinoe didn't seem suspicious.

"Around thirty, based on my calculations but I'm not privy to Danzo sama's decisions so I don't know the exact number." He stopped before a wide arch. "This is the dining hall." 

The inside was fairly similar to the training room though why Ashura expected variety in underground rooms was beyond him. As he had reported to the Hokage, there were nearly two hundred children ranging from six to sixteen years old. It was a lot louder than the training room as well, with quiet conversations and whispered arguments soothing the Uzumaki. 

Ashura didn't know anyone enough to join one of the conversations, ducking his head and collecting a plate from the corner. He was about to make a cursory round of the room when he caught sight of a familiar face. The medic from earlier was seated on the fringes of what seemed like the biggest group. She wasn't exactly smiling but she was clearly far more relaxed than during the training. Thankfully she didn't seem to be injured or punished in any way for standing up for him. 

"Ano, Mio san?" He said softly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. Unfortunately for him, hypersensitive child soldiers were naturally suspicious of anomalies and he was the immediate target of twenty hostile gazes. He shrunk back in panic. 

"Ashura kun, right?" Mio said, looking wary. "What do you want?"

There were a few muffled whispers and a fairly loud, "personal training!" that he heard but he tried not to pay them any mind.

"I wanted to thank you for your assistance today. Um," he hesitated. "Shimura sama, he- you weren't punished, were you?"

"No." She said, looking slightly bewildered. "I'm fine." 

"Mio, he is a team with _Kinoe_!"

"I'm not?" Ashura replied to the stocky boy behind Mio who had spoken. "I'm supposed to be going on solo missions, according to Shimura sama." 

There was an immediate intake of breath and Mio looked horrified. "He's training you for wetworks?"

"Not for another two months", Ashura replied, trying not to show his disgust on his face. Wetworks was the slang term for solo assassinations. While Danzo had never explicitly stated the area he was to work in, he had figured it out after the Elder had tested his knowledge on instant kills and taught him to hide his chakra entirely. He hated the fact that the man had managed to turn something he learnt to give mercy to his opponents into an assassination technique. Hopefully, he would make it out of this infiltration mission without having to go on one of those missions. He didn't particularly want to have to devise a way to fail it.

"I'm sorry." Mio said and Ashura just nodded slightly. She hesitated a second longer before sighing. "You should learn to hide your fears better. Or get over them. Don't let Danzo sama find out."

Ashura managed a tight smile. "It was a surprise. I've been doing okay so far but I didn't expect the knives to be a trigger. They weren't anything major. Just... my Genin teammates wanted to use them." 

"I'm sorry." She said sadly. "My- my team died too. A misranked mission. Danzo sama told me about this branch of the Genin corps and said that my chakra control was good enough to be accepted here. At least here, I can train to become better. Even if it's hard sometimes. Their faces push me forward, make me better. It's why I can push myself, so that I never have to be the medic who can't save her teammates again."

"They would be proud." Ashura said. He made to continue but was interrupted but Kinoe's quiet voice at his shoulder.

"You have to finish your meal quickly. Danzo sama wanted me to escort you to your room soon."

He managed a weak nod goodbye and left them, already missing the warmth of company. 

The food was bland and tasteless as usual but he was too keyed up to focus on it. Kinoe was behind him, like an unweildy shadow and he couldn't help the swell of anger at his silence. He was immediately ashamed of disregarding his suffering but he couldn't help it. Seeing the other agents together was almost counter-productive, making him miss his friends and family even more. 

It was far too soon before they were walking back to his room, Ashura trying his best to memorize the path, for no reason other than to have something to do rather than letting the silence envelop him.

"The medic back there. She is a capable shinobi, isn't she? But she was crying. Sadness...?" Kinoe began and Ashura felt the beginning of the headache creeping up his temples. He really didn't want to explain emotions at that moment but he couldn't leave Kinoe alone when he had been abandoned by every other person around him.

"Yes. That was sadness." He managed to get out, trying to soften his tone so he didn't snap at the boy.

"She said it was making her stronger."

"She was sad about a mistake in the past. She was turning that sorrow into determination so that it would never happen again." Ashura said, ignoring the pain that came from trivialising the unknown shinobis' death into a single mistake.

"But emotions get in the way of a mission?" Kinoe asked, childlike in his curiousity despite his blank features.

"But you aren't on a mission right now. And even if you are, Konoha is known for her teamwork. You can't work with a team without trust. That means that you must trust that your teammate will help you and not just use you to reach the mission objective." 

"We are tools. We are to be used by our village." The boy stated calmly as if he wasn't dehumanising himself horrifically.

"You aren't." Ashura stated firmly. "You and I and all of the others in that hall? We are children. And it is horrible that we have to fight in an adults' war but right now it is how it is. We aren't tools. We aren't cannon fodder. There is always going to be a choice. And eventually if everyone refuses to do horrible things, they won't happen."

Kinoe just looked at him with those hopelessly blank eyes and Ashura could have wept. "You aren't a tool. And you are allowed to cry and laugh and get angry when someone hurts you. If you don't take anything away from this, take this- you are not a tool." 

He nodded hesitantly at Ashura and turned to go. At the last minute he hesitated. "Back when you were talking to the medic. You said her team would be proud. You don't know that. Why did you say it?"

Ashura rubbed a tired hand across his face. "Because she was becoming strong for them. They must have cared for her so they would be happy to see her with a goal. And... it gave her hope that maybe she was on the right path."

"Oh." He turned around to face Ashura completely. "Your team would be proud of you too. And... Thank you." He dropped into a bow and left, leaving a dumbfounded Uzumaki behind.

He hadn't allowed himself to think about Arashi and Ichigo, not believing that they are would ever agree with the path he had taken. Hadn't he abandoned the village they swore to protect together? But... the way Kinoe had stated it so simply like it was untouchable fact made him realise that before strength and courage and experience, they had always been loyal. Loyal enough that they would follow him anywhere, that they would try to understand his reasons and support him through his trials. They... would be proud of him. 

The first tears fell as he wept into his arms. His chest ached with loneliness. Curled up in the tiny bed that seemed ridiculously large to the boy, he muffled the tears in the hard pillow he had been given. His arms were wrapped around himself in a cruel mockery of the hug he ached for so badly. He wanted Arashi and Ichigo's side hugs when they sandwiched him between them, his father's warm, comforting hugs when he cried and Shisui's painfully tight hugs that held him together.

Huddled alone, the boy cried silently, sleep the only one who accepted him into her arms.


	15. Reunions and Retribution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> I apologise for the delay but there has been a lot going on. I spent so long prepping for exams only for them to be postponed due to the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic so that was all for naught. Now I'm finally getting back to this story. Please comment and give me all the kudos and bookmarks. Stay safe and healthy and don't forget to 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> I wished upon a shooting star,  
>  For dreams I hoped I deserved,  
>  But when I had them in my hands,  
>  I found myself perturbed.
> 
> I spent so long wishing,  
>  That I didn't realise,  
>  That what I really wanted,  
>  Was the wishing, not the prize. 

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Three kunai thudded to the centre of the targets decisively but Ashura barely managed to glance at his successful throws when he was forced to twist out of the path of the gleaming projectiles launched at him in retaliation. 

"Again." 

The low command resonated through the cavern and Ashura gritted his teeth as he dodged the shuriken flung at his head. His arm flew back as he launched more kunai at the swinging targets, hissing sharply as the next shuriken sliced a gash into his cheek. His hand jerked just as the last weapon left his hand and even before it burieded itself into the target, he knew it would not hit the center.

Sure enough, the last projectile struck only the outermost ring, barely kissing the target and the room fell silent as the Uzumaki landed gracefully on the ground. He could feel the blood dripping from his cheek but he did not dare brush it away as he felt Danzo's coo gaze bore into his forehead.

"Tsk." His distaste was nearly palpable and Ashura gritted his teeth. "That will be enough. Kinoe, return to your position. Anri, Yamiyo, Kura, return to the training room."

Ashura waited for his own instructions but Danzo did not continue, seemingly waiting for the other operatives to clear out. He resisted the urge to fidget, and tried not to make his exhaustion apparent on his face. Sleeplessness and nightmares had left dark bags under his eyes that he couldn't quite conceal. The fact that nighttime was the only period he could search the building for the documentation he knew was hidden, only exacerbated his fatigue.

It hadn't been entirely for naught though. He had managed to piece together the working of the organisation through conversations with the other operatives and his own nightly explorations. 

There were two hundred soldiers that Danzo could call upon, all of which were branded with the Complete Binding Seal. Out of these, there were around one hundred operatives who had been raised in the organisation like Kinoe and would not turn against Danzo even if he freed them from the seal. They were more likely to fight its removal in the first place. 

There were also fifty children who had been recruited from the Genin Corps or directly from the Academy who were loyal to Konoha before Danzo. These operatives, like Mio, were not entirely aware of the dangers of the Seal as they hadn't been forced into compliance by it. If they were convinced, they would most likely turn on Danzo, especially if they had proof that his actions were not in compliance with the Hokage's orders.

The last group were the ones who had realised Danzo's disloyalty. The seals had been drawn on their Tenketsu points and they were kept isolated from the others as puppet soldiers to be used as the first line of defence in case of an attack on ROOT.

These were the ones Ashura knew he had to free before ROOT could be attacked. Without them, not only did Danzo lose a fraction of his army, but with their knowledge of his disloyalty, they could serve as witnesses when he was trialled. With luck, they could even testify against the other Elders.

While all of this was massively helpful, Ashura needed to find more definitive proof, hence his nighttime exploits, but as the last of his training partners left the cavern, Ashura reflected that the repercussions of the fatigue that came from it were certainly not pleasant. The silence stretched on as he kept his eyes on the ground and tried not to show his discomfort at Danzo's anger.

"I suppose it is to be expected." Danzo said with the faintest undercurrent of disdain. "The Land of Eddies is certainly not known for its weapon handling."

Ashura gritted his teeth but did not say anything. Danzo's speeches after training were perhaps one of the worst parts of his infiltration, filled with backhanded insults, sly accusations and worst of all, obviously disparaging against Ashura's friends.

"Follow me." With that the Elder set off along the tunnels, not letting up in the vitriol even as he walked. "No doubt it is to accommodate for the sealing arts but I had hoped that you would be able to overcome your clansmen's natural disposition against it but it appears to not be the case. Pity." 

"Your training is proceeding less than adequately but I suppose I can make use of you in some other way." The words were spoken quietly and Ashura shivered at the implications.

They followed the path deeper into the heart of the mountain and he mentally mapped out the area. He hadn't explored these paths yet, with the tunnels appearing more natural than the earlier ones.

"It was what surprised me about Kushina, you know."

"Huh?" Ashura asked, confused at the change of subject.

"She fights with a sword. If not for her hair, she would never be recognised as an Uzumaki. Her inability to weild Ninjutsu adequately and her absolutely atrocious Fuuinjutsu are astonishing in an Uzumaki. I recall Mito san's annoyance at the girl in her youth before she eventually gave up on her. It's one's duty to uphold the traditions of one's clan, isn't it Ashura?" Danzo's tone was cool and condescending, the question demanding the instant compliance he was used to receiving from the boy.

"It's a pity that she is what is left of Uzushiogakure's legacy, aside from you. I shudder to think of the impression she will leave." 

Ashura's jaw was clenched so tightly he could feel the ache upto his temples. Danzo's words were cruel and the worst part about them was that they were interspersed with just enough truth to be genuine. If Ashura hadn't known of Kushina's status as a Jinchuuriki, he might have seen her actions as belittling tradition and family but he knew for a fact that Ninjutsu would always be difficult for her with the large reserves afforded by the Kyuubi. As for her propensity to weaponry, having been in a team with Arashi and Ichigo, he knew not to belittle it. 

Nevertheless, he kept silent as Danzo continued to spew vitriol about Kushina. It was uncharacteristic of him to talk so much, especially against someone who was for all intents and purposes fairly detached from ROOT and Ashura worried for a second if the change was due to any kind suspicion on the Elder's part.

"Where are we going, Shimura sama?" He said when finally there was a lul in his monologue.

"As you are a competent sealmaster, you will prove your worth to the organisation by lining the headquarters with protection seals. You will be given a plan of the area to be covered and seal it as you see fit." 

Ashura almost gaped at the man. The order was absolutely ridiculous at this point of time. The amount of trust Danzo was putting in him was absurd especially when he had no proof of his loyalty and lacked the security of the Complete Binding Seal to boot.

His mind ran haywire as he studied the plan of the headquarters. Was this a trap? To test his loyalty by ensuring he was too frightened of the implications to search the headquarters? Or was it just a coincidence. Sealmasters were rare after all and it would be uncharacteristic if he did not make use of the resource he had. 

With the plan he had been handed, he would be able to search for proof of Danzo's illegal activities easily. Was that why he had begun badmouthing Kushina and the others? He already believed that Ashura was against the Uchiha. Other than them, his only friends in the village were Kakashi, Kushina and Minato. Coincidentally, he had spent the last few days hinting heavily that Minato would be an ineffective Hokage, being far more lenient than his own father had been as Uzukage, and Kushina had betrayed her roots as an Uzumaki.

If he managed to isolate Ashura enough, he could ensure that he would gain his loyalty purely because there was no one else he trusted. 

Well, it seemed Orochimaru was right when he said that Ashura could beat Danzo by showing weakness instead of strength.

With a quietly murmured affirmative, the Uzumaki slipped away from Danzo, hiding the quietly triumphant smile behind the blank expression he had perfected. For the first time in a long while, the near constant weight in his shoulders seemed to have eased and even his fatigue and loneliness were buried temporarily under the triumph of success.

He rushed through his weakly report to the Hokage, detailing the plan he had been handed and the sealing task he had been given. He explained the failsafes he planned to build into the protection seals and mentioned the triggers that would destroy them in case of his death before he could release them. It didn't take as long as usual, fingers flying in wake of the figurative light at the end of the tunnel he had glimpsed and soon he was sealing it through the postage seal.

He took far longer with the letter he wrote to Shisui. He mentioned his belief that Danzo was disparaging his friends to isolate him further and even wrote about the disastrous training sessions. He mentioned all that he had learnt and how he planned to search the headquarters once he was done with the protection seals he had been ordered to complete. Childishly, he spent the last few inches of paper insulting the Elder, from his mummified appearance to the ridiculous way he acted, feeling much better when he finished it.

Ignoring the bright flush of embarrasment at his juvenile antics, he sent the second letter to Shisui. Despite the lack of reply he always felt much better knowing that there was someone else reading his ramblings even if they couldn't acknowledge it. Like the official report, he sent the failsafes for the protection seals and triggers to Shisui as well. Perhaps the Hokage might disapprove of his lack of secrecy but be had told Ashura to coordinate with the curly haired Uchiha in the first place.

It was rather ingenious, if he did say so himself. He needed a way to incapacitate every ROOT member so that Danzo could not use them as cannon fodder. Every one of the operatives bore the Complete Binding Seal on some part of there body. Therefore if he tied the protection seals to the Binding Seal, it would ensure that they were effectively trapped within the headquarters till he released it. The actual seal would be a modification of the Binding Seal used to tie prisoners to the cell they were jailed in. Hopefully it would keep any innocents out of the fight until Danzo was captured.

He didn't sneak out that night. If it did end up being a test of his loyalty, Danzo would be on guard. Instead he decided to try and actually get a reasonable amount of sleep for once and lay down almost immediately after dinner. Unfortunately the night terrors that plagued his mind on the best of days were all the more prominent on the worst and coupled with aching seclusion and touch starvation meant his rest was anything but restful.

When he finally awoke, twisted in the thin sheet provided, bathed in sweat and trembling like a leaf, he knew better than to hope for a good night's sleep. Frustrated tears beaded teal eyes as he tried to shake away the heart rending images in his mind. Triumphant he may be but clearly the euphoria didn't last as long as he had hoped it would. 

The problem with infiltration or any long term mission generally was that it required a particular mindset for an extended period of time. It was why fake personalities and disguises were usually not that far off from the original because it required so much more effort to keep a false image up and no matter the expertise, it would eventually fail. He had seen it when shinobi specialising in honeypots were usually far more promiscuous than the ordinary ninja. It was also why spies, despite their importance, were never trusted entirely. The fact of the matter was that they were used to hiding behind such extensive masks of disloyalty that it eventually bled into their actions in everyday life and left the average shinobi's hackles raised. 

The mask he had chosen to don for this mission was, as Orochimaru had said, primarily vulnerable. It was a far cry from his personality before the Fall of Uzushio but it fit his post-escape mindset entirely. The problem lay in the fact that it was in no way a healthy psyche. As a shinobi that relied heavily on his instincts, he was leaving himself vulnerable for long enough that they were rebelling against the conditioning he had put them through for the last seven years and eventually, they would snap.

If he were not bound within ROOT headquarters for the foreseeable future, he would follow Kagami's advice in a heartbeat and sign himself up for therapy. No doubt his father would have been the first one to do so under ordinary circumstances as well but as it stood, he couldn't do any of that and was forced to resort to other means of venting, ergo his frequent letters to Shisui. A part of him hoped with fervent ardour that the Uchiha wasn't bored or annoyed by his writing but a much larger part of him refused to even dwell on that doubt because he knew how much it would hurt to even contemplate its veracity.

The last two and a half months had been beyond exhausting and all he could do was pray that this spark of hope he had deigned to entertain would fan into a flame.  
______________________________________________________

The protection seals weren't particularly tricky to complete but he dragged the process out for nearly a week, until both his own modifications and the original seals were carved beautifully around the entrances of ROOT headquarters.

In an inexplicable turn of events, Danzo had assigned Kinoe to assist Ashura which brought to question what the boy did when he wasn't tasked with wrangling the newest recruit. He had seen more of Kinoe in the last two months than he had seen of any other recruit or even Danzo himself. 

Ashura wasn't complaining though. He had managed to get Kinoe to smile at his jokes, feeble as it was and the other boy had even apologized for injuring him in a training session where he would have ordinarily done nothing but assume it was beneficial and leave it at that. They hadn't spoken much beyond their immediate actions and painfully awkward small talk but Ashura was hopeful that the Mokuton user was beginning to question the orders that he had previously treated as gospel. 

The problem lay in the fact that Ashura wanted to remove his Complete Binding Seal.

Unlike the fifty operatives he knew were against Danzo for sure, Kinoe was still hopelessly loyal to the man. The moment he removed the seal, it would make it back to Danzo and he knew that if it did happen all his sleuthing would be for nothing. But every time he caught the slight wince as Kinoe said something that might fall under the classified heading he had to bite his own tongue to hold back from offering the freedom he knew the other wouldn't be able to appreciate simply because he didn't know any different. 

Instead he bit back his words, pretended he hadn't seen the expression of pain and changed the topic effortlessly. Usually he found himself describing his fallen village. The topic had been brought up when Kinoe had caught sight of his Uzushio hitai-ate and asked about it. It eventually devolved into descriptions of the marketplace, the training grounds and the towering buildings that ringed the island nation. He had spent a good twenty minutes just describing Miyuki baa-san's shop before he caught sight of the small almost-smile on Kinoe's face and blushed at his exuberance. 

It helped that Kinoe was genuinely interested in hearing about it as well. His head would be tilted slightly, eyes half- lidded as if imagining all the sights and his blank expression softened somewhat. 

Like he was now as Ashura described how the barriers looked over Uzushio's seas.

"It was during sunset, when they looked best," he said, as he began carving another seal, replacing the chisel from the one in Kinoe's arms. "It turned the crimson sunsets purple from the lowest levels of the village, you know? There was orange red at the highest level, a deep purple, almost violet that lightened into pale blue-lilac over the sea." 

He sighed wistfully. "That was one of the best parts about Uzushio. The colours, I mean. Even our hair was vibrant." He eyed the few cerise strands that had escaped his bun with a bittersweet smile. "Unlike everywhere else, we dressed plainly but that's only because the rest of the village was so bright."

"You wear decorations in your hair." Kinoe recalled.

Ashura laughed. "Yes, we did. But those were mostly used as weaponry. Other than that, shades of blue and green and the occasional black were the most colour you would see on an Uzu shinobi, even on special occasions."

Kinoe hummed thoughtfully.

"There is a story, I can't confirm its truthfulness but it speaks of the first Uzukage who sought an alliance with a rival clan by seeking the hand of the chief's daughter in marriage. Of course, this was just after Uzushio was established, so maybe thirty years before Konoha? Anyway, the clan was dishonorable and so instead of turning the suit down honourably, they chose to mock the Uzukage instead and demanded a uniting of the seas and the sky as a bride price.

The Uzukage in turn, revealed his mastery seal. That night, he carved hundreds of barrier seals around the village and linked them together to form the strongest protection he could create. The next morning, he invited the chief and his daughter to Uzushio and along with his strongest shinobi, powered up the entire seal matrix. Like water flowing from the seas back to the heavens from where they fell, the deep blue barriers rose around the village, taller than the eye could see, for all intents and purposes, a link from the seas to the sky. The chief had no choice but to allow his daughter to wed the Uzukage and the clan was eventually integrated into the village."

As he spoke, he had finished carving the last seal into the wall and with a final look over his work, he deemed it successfully completed. He turned back to Kinoe, who looked as enraptured as his emotionless facade would allow.

"The main reason why it isn't confirmed or refuted is because neither of the other clans were willing to accept that they originally snubbed the most beloved Uzukage of the village." He confided with a fond laugh. "The Elders of the Miura and Kawahara clans would spend hours squabbling over it in every meeting while Otou san just enjoyed the show."

"Well, squabbling idiots are usually pleasant enough to enjoy but I highly doubt he was one to suffer fools easily." The low, clear tone of the Snake summoner was unexpected enough that Ashura startled visibly. 

"Orochimaru sama?" He said with the barest hint of trepidation in his tone, very much mindful of the fact that the last time they had met, he had been complicit in his capture and the time before that he had taken advantage of his altered mental state to steal his work. "Can I be of assistance?"

"I must say, little Uzumaki, not many people actually take my advice these days." He smirked. "It's... refreshing to see you here. All... _raw_."

His behavior was just as unsettling as he remembered but it wasn't as hostile as before and Ashura breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, he would be grateful enough with the knowledge that his actions were finally his own to take his frustration out on Ashura. His gaze fell in Kinoe and Ashura was surprised to see the well of regret instead of the scientific curiosity he had expected and wondered at the reason behind it.

"Was there something you required of us, Orochimaru sama?" Kinoe asked, tilting his head slightly.

"No, ah Kinoe?" The Snake Sannin cleared his throat as he looked away from the Mokuton user. The familiar unsettling look entered his eyes once more as he turned to Ashura instead. "I believe the littlest Uzumaki has been tasked with sealing up our quarters and Danzo doesn't quite trust him enough to leave it all to him. I'm here to check that there aren't any inopportune... surprises." He took two quick steps forward, hand brushing the newly carved seals, tracing over them as he let his eyes fall shut.

Ashura's heart skipped a beat as he watched the man work. He hadn't bothered to hide his modifications too far into the seals, trusting in the fact that there was no one skilled enough to find the inconsistencies but he had completely forgotten about Orochimaru. The jounin was easily competent enough to both find and identify the reasons for the inconsistencies and he had no idea if the man was loyal to Danzo, Konoha or some twisted version of both or neither. 

He felt his breath catch with every gentle pass over the seals and his heartbeat quickened when he shot him an unreadable look over his shoulder. Was it interest? Surprise? Anger? He couldn't tell and his stomach was tight when Orochimaru finally turned to the two boys. 

"Ashura kun." He began slowly, genuine emotion bleeding into his tone. The Uzumaki gulped. He didn't know what it meant that the man was using his given name instead of the disparaging moniker he preferred. "There are some modifications to the originals, aren't there?"

"Yes." If he was to be caught, at least he had told everything he knew to the Hokage and Shisui. Hopefully they would have enough to at least convict Danzo, even if the other Elders went free.

Orochimaru was still staring at him. "These modifications. If they do what I think they do, then you are quite possibly one of the most intriguing minds I have found in the last three decades."

"What?" Ashura said, dumbly.

A small smile stretched the androgynous features. "What I'm saying is that I'm sure ROOT will only benefit from these protections and I will inform Danzo of your excellent work. No doubt your loyalty will be well rewarded." The smile turned the slightest bit predatory. "I suppose, we will have to eventually exchange notes, won't we?" 

With that, he turned away from the boys and made to leave the room before Ashura's call stopped him.

"Wait!" He bowed to the jounin slightly, the only way he could apologise in present company. "I would only exchange notes with your permission, Orochimaru sama. On my honour, I swear it."

The man looked startled for the briefest moment before his expression unexpectedly softened. "Then I suppose I shall do the same with certain samples I possess. Your ... honour," he said the word with none of the distaste Ashura expected but slightly longingly. "See that you keep it, Ashura kun." He nodded at Kinoe and turned to leave.

This time when he left, Ashura let him. Orochimaru's last words had reminded him of the reason he had demanded this mission despite his hatred of the situation. He had told the Hokage that as long as Danzo still had soldiers, he couldn't leave them there. Which meant that he couldn't leave Kinoe's safety upto chance, no matter how much it endangered the mission. Danzo's first targets would be the fifty rebels but if Ashura's plan was successful, they would be safe. Danzo's next step would be prying the information from Kinoe and no matter his innocence, Ashura knew that his deception would only play into the boys delicate psyche and he couldn't let his friend suffer like that. 

He had been accused of following his heart before his head but while it hadn't always steered him right, it _had_ always steered him true and he knew with a wry certainty that he would continue to do so. 

"Kinoe." He took a deep breath. "Come to my room tonight after dinner. I need to show you something."  
______________________________________________________

It had all come to a head.

He barely had time to send a letter to Shisui and an emergency report to the Hokage before he was needed to complete his duties.

Predictably, Kinoe had been against the seal breaking but Ashura had reminded him that he deserved to be able to control his own body, a message he had been incredibly grateful to see the boy accept, and eventually it was completed. 

Instead of leaving Kinoe's loyalty to chance, he told him that sleep was necessary to complete the seal breaking and left the Mokuton user sleeping lightly in his own room before slipping out to finally study the paperwork he knew Danzo had kept hidden. Leaving a water clone behind in case anyone came to check on him in the night, he let the familiar sensation of a camouflage seal wash over him and extended his chakra sense outwards. A brief scan over the area he knew the fifty rebels were imprisoned in revealed that they were safe and a brief glance into where Kinoe slept confirmed his presence as well. Lastly he searched for Danzo's signature. 

He wasn't often in headquarters after sunset and it seemed this night was no exception. None of the other Elders were there either but as he sneaked through the halls, he kept an eye out for anyone hiding their chakra signature for any reason. First of all, he made his way to the rebels. He had managed to slip them a letter with the Hokage's seal to convince them of his loyalty and hopefully they would not require too much convincing to follow his lead. 

The modified counter of the Complete Binding Seal used on the tenketsu points was carefully sketched and stored in his storage seal and he had enough ink and brushes that his clones would be able to hopefully unseal all of them. 

He landed lightly in front of the prison holding the fifty children, both hands raised to show his lack of hostility. 

"Konoha's leaves are greener in the light." He whispered harshly before one of them could call for help and had the pleasure of watching more than one mouth fall at his words.

"You're the mole? How on earth did a shrimp like you manage to do it?" 

Ashura clicked his teeth in irritation. "Does it matter? I have the counter to the seal but you'll have to follow my lead when I break you out."

"The Hokage okayed it?"

"Yes. It's a strike against ROOT as a whole and Danzo specifically. So? My lead?"

The boy nodded curtly.

"What should we do?"

Ashura made ten water clones, and a single shadow clone, feeling the chakra drain on his system uncomfortably and quickly unsealed the Fuuinjutsu supplies. "Five to each water clone. It will draw the counter over the seal drawn and one of you lot will have to activate it by infusing it with enough chakra. Once all fifty are unsealed, you will coordinate with the clones to keep the remaining ROOT operatives contained. Leave only once I disperse the shadow clone. Until then, stay put."

"There are hundreds of them! There's no way we can contain them all." One of the girls, possibly a Nara based on her hairstyle, commented.

"Show the letter from the Hokage. Around half are loyal to Konoha before Danzo and just believe Danzo is working for the village. Besides this is only to keep them from interfering long enough to take the fight outside Headquarters. They won't be able to get out once I activate the seals but you should be able to. Clear?"

He received several affirmatives and decisive nods. 

"Thank you for your assistance. I'll be taking my leave then." He let the camouflage seal bleed back into existance and stepped away from them. The low thrum of adrenaline that accompanied every mission buzzed in his ears and he tried to calm himself enough to let the mission mindset settle over his thoughts. 

Once more, he reached out with his chakra sense, looking for anomalies ahead of him before stopping short in shock. Tentatively he reached out again, feeling the familiar fire nature tempered with both lightning and wind that he knew so well. His breath caught in his throat as he reached forward blindly. 

"Shisui?" He whispered hoarsely, the camouflage seal falling as he made his presence known but he couldn't be bothered to care about it. Not when he caught sight of familiar dark eyes, widened in surprise and the curly hair that he remembered so well.

"Shura?" The strangled whisper was all the proof he needed.

He didn't say anything beyond a vague sound that might have been an affirmative because the next second he was throwing himself into the taller boy's arms, skinny limbs wrapping around the Uchiha. 

"Shisui." He whispered again, against the high collar of the boy's shirt, _"Oh God, I missed you. _"__

__He was crying, he realised. Silent tears and gasping sobs, even as Shisui's arms came around to hold him securely. He hadn't realised just how tough starved he had been without any kind of familiar contact and Shisui was hugging him just as tightly as he remembered, the grounding feeling of someone's warmth exactly what he needed so desperately._ _

__Eventually they had to separate and Ashura wiped his red rimmed eyes self-consciously. "What are you doing here?" He asked, when he didn't feel like he was going to burst into tears the moment he opened his mouth._ _

__"You said you were finding the evidence today. I wasn't going to let you go alone. We're a team, remember?" Shisui said, shrugging his shoulders. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Besides, I missed you."_ _

__The tips of his ears went a bit pink at the admission but Ashura blushed a brilliant scarlet that prompted a snort from the Uchiha and a muttered, "Tomato."_ _

__He offered a hand that Ashura grabbed without even thinking, the trust ingrained in him even after two months of separation, and offered one of his brilliant grins that Ashura had no choice but to reciprocate._ _

__"Come one, Shura. You're the one who said it. Let's go destroy Danzo."_ _


	16. Punishment for the Pretenders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> This chapter practically wrote itself, it was wonderful and I loved it. I hope you like the conclusion to the ROOT arc. There will definitely be more loose ends tied up but Ashura is finally out of ROOT so hurray, I can move on to other happenings. 
> 
> Please comment if you think I missed something or you dislike/ like something I did. Give me kudos as well so I know that you enjoyed it! Most of all, don't forget to stay safe and healthy and 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon.

> And with a crack the darkness dimmed,  
>  Taking with it our last chance to win,  
>  For we were often told that heroes are,  
>  Just men we choose to admire from afar,  
>  And close at hand, they will remain,  
>  Human enough to fail again.

Shisui lied. 

Well not entirely lied, but he had withheld a part of the truth from Ashura. He hadn't come just because they needed to search the base and while he certainly had missed Ashura, it wasn't the only reason he had dropped everything to get to ROOT headquarters when he read of Ashura's plans.

The truth was that he was worried about the other boy and now that he could see Ashura, he couldn't help but worry more. There were dark circles under his eyes and his face was deathly pale. He could see that the Uzumaki had lost weight and his eyes were dull and glassy. He had read the letters Ashura sent him and they hadn't done anything to alleviate his anxiety either. The way Ashura had cried upon seeing him and the fiercely desperate way he had clung to him only proved that his fears had been well founded.

Shisui hated everything about this mission. From Danzo's general creepiness to the pitiful life of the children imprisoned inside ROOT and the disgusting seals used everywhere, he was ready for the entire thing to be over. Ashura's pain was just another reason for him to curse the old warhawk's name and he prayed fervently that both of them made it out of this mission alive.

"The tunnels ahead are where I suspect the documentation of illegal missions to be." Ashura whispered softly, rousing the Uchiha from his thoughts. "I discovered their existance when Danzo gave me the plans to the entire headquarters. I haven't had time to explore them any further than this point though."

"Do you know if there are any guards or traps?" Shisui replied, equally quietly.

"No guards, unless they are suppressing their chakra signatures, so keep an eye out for that. But there aren't usually any guards. If there are any traps or protections, I won't be able to lift them unless they are Fuuinjutsu based." Ashura's eyes closed as he focussed on the area ahead of them. "No chakra based traps at least. I would be able to sense those."

"What do we do if we trip something? Try again another time?" His brow furrowed at the thought. He really didn't want to leave Ashura there for any more time than they had to. He would much rather prefer to fight their way out if it came to that.

"No, I don't think we can afford any delays." Shisui heaved a sigh of relief. The rebels are on standby in case we get caught. That's why I freed them tonight. They will delay any operative who tries to get to us. We just need to make it out of here with the information and they won't be able to follow us." Ashura looked smugly satisfied and Shisui found himself grinning at the Uzumaki's content expression. "Once I activate the seals, anyone with a Complete Binding Seal is essentially trapped here so Danzo won't be sending them on any other missions without informing the Hokage." 

"Good." Shisui said, "I reckon we'll have around ten minutes once we enter before we are caught, right? So we'll have to distribute the work to collect as much information as we can. How many shadow clones can you make?"

Ashura frowned slightly. "I already have two active so maybe seven or eight more if I'm careful." He blushed at the bug eyed stare Shisui gave him at the admission.

"Sage, how much chakra do you have? I don't think even Kagami ji san can make six!" 

"Uzumaki are genetically predisposed to have denser chakra and sometimes higher chakra reserves as well which means we require lesser amounts to perform any jutsu aside from Fuuinjutsu. I also have good enough chakra control that I can moderate the amount I'm using." Ashura said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Wow." The Uchiha shook his head slightly in disbelief but left it at that. "Then you make six clones. Keep the rest of your chakra in reserve so that you can fight if it comes to that. I can make three safely so that will have to do. If you find anything important that we need to remember, bring it to me and I can use my Sharingan to copy it. Alright?"

"Yeah, I think that's it." Ashura confirmed. "Oh! Don't dispel your clones until we are out. They can be distractions if need be."

Shisui nodded and with a touch of chakra to the seal Ashura had drawn on his arm, the two of them melted into the shadows. 

It didn't take long before they found what they were looking for. The room was similiar to the library in the village with scrolls piled high on wooden shelves. They were arranged chronologically, with the oldest in the farthest corner and the latest right in front of them. There were at least fifteen hundred scrolls and Shisui's blood ran cold at the number of missions Danzo had sent his little army on. Ashura's voice rang out of the shadows.

"You start from the oldest and I'll start with the newest. Form your clones. We have to hurry. Prioritise looking for anything implicating the other two Elders. Bring those or anything else that you deem important to be shown to the Hokage to me. You copy them, I'll store anything you don't have time to or can't stomach reading."

Obligingly, he started searching through the oldest scrolls, clones melting from his form and starting their own perusal of the shelves. From the dates indicated on his scroll, it seemed that there were missions from the Nidaime Hokage's time as well. He absent mindedly captured the details of the scrolls with his Sharingan, not spending the time to go over the details indicated. For the most part, it named people he did not recognise, though there were a few names he vaguely recalled Kagami ji san mentioning.

He had gone through most of the scrolls from before the Sandaime's reign when he caught the words, 'Uchiha Kagami'. He had barely begun reading when he saw 'powerful Mangekyou Sharingan' and felt his stomach roil. He knew Danzo had been teammates with his grandfather. Ordinarily that merited some sort of loyalty but apparently in Danzo's book, it just meant another source of power. 

He didn't dare read any further, knowing that it would leave him emotionally compromised and he couldn't allow that. Instead he sent the scroll to be sealed into Ashura's storage scroll with one of his clones and moved on. 

The rest of the missions weren't any better. He found missions to Grass that were intended to be sabotage against the Sannin though it had thankfully failed and another intended to discredit a Konoha merchant to prevent his daughter from marrying into another village. Apparently she had a useful kekkei genkai that might be inherited by her chikdren. He found several assassination missions though he didn't recognise most of them and several more suicide missions, mainly to send messages to miniature insurgencies. 

Eventually he found himself at the start of the Third Shinobi War and wasn't that a surprise because it appeared that Danzo had really stepped up the number of missions after that. Ashura was almost done with his side and they hadn't even reached the middle. He found a sabotage mission and an attached assassination to Stone for Hatake Sakumo to discredit a possible Hokage candidate and felt bile rush up his throat. From what he heard, that mission kickstarted the Third Shinobi war and the man himself had been ostracized. He wasn't sure what happened to the Hatake clan head but Kakashi was most certainly an orphan so he knew it couldn't be anything good. 

Meanwhile Ashura was just as disgusted with the scrolls he had found. Unlike Shisui, he couldn't read as fast without the Sharingan, so he just sealed any scrolls with a clan name or a significant event into a storage scroll. He knew he would have to show it to the Hokage and possibly others so he didn't want to reveal his Mastery Seal. 

He was shocked by the number of files he found on clan children. It appeared that Danzo was studying their kekkei genkai for his own use either by recruiting them into ROOT or stealing it in whatever way he chose. There was a file detailing a Nara who could hide in his own shadow, an Aburame with a poisonous strain of kikaichu and so many more. There was a disturbingly long file on Kakashi and several sabotage missions to steal his eye that were thankfully marked failed. 

Ashura even found a file on Kinoe that described the experiments that created his Mokuton hailing Orochimaru as the scientist that created the Release out of Senju Hashirama's cells. It certainly explained Orochimaru's regretful look at the boy, if he had been forced to experiment on him in the first place. 

He had been keeping an eye out for any unknown chakra signatures while searching the file room and it wasn't long before he sensed the distinctive signature of Danzo himself, hurtling through the tunnels at full speed. He tensed, leaving the clones to continue reading as he unsealed his Uchigatana and sent chakra to his fingertips. 

"Shisui. Danzo's coming." He warned, prompting the Uchiha to raise his guard as well. "I'm activating the protection seals. It will take a few minutes. We'll have to hold him off for at least another five minutes for the clones to go through the rest of the files." 

Shisui just nodded tersely, fingers twitching though he dared not use Ninjutsu with the delicate scrolls in the same room. His Sharingan was activated though he made sure that Ashura had seen and registered the Doujutsu. It wouldn't do for the Uzumaki to panic mid fight over the flash of crimson. With a quick seal, he set an elaborate Genjutsu around the room. While it wouldn't hold Danzo, it might hopefully slow him down and since he was meant to be buying Ashura time, that was all he needed. 

To the side, he could see the lightly glowing chakra of Ashura's half completed seal as he rushed through the motions. He had barely managed to glance at it when he felt the Genjutsu fall. Prepared for the eventuality, he used the distraction to set another Genjutsu, reinforced with his Sharingan around Ashura and his seal. Sure enough Danzo didn't even glance in the redhead's direction, beady eye focussed entirely on the tensed Uchiha.

"I will kill you slowly, you little brat!" The councilman spat as Shisui aimed several vicious strikes on his blind side. He returned the blows with his own chakra reinforced punches that hurt far more than normal and Shisui groaned in pain. "Who sent you here? Kagami? The Uchiha?"

"None of your business", Shisui returned, as he did his best to avoid Danzo's attacks. Thankfully he didn't seem inclined to use Ninjutsu either. With a flick of his wrist he sent shuriken after shuriken at the lunging man, adjusting the ninja wire he had strung them with until it surrounded Danzo like a net. Unfortunately, for all his genius, Danzo had experience in spades and a trick like that wasn't going to work on him for long. His own kunai slashed through the wires, hitting weak points with an ease that left Shisui jealous.

"Fuuin!" Ashura's voice rang clear just as Danzo escaped the wire trap, freezing the older man in place. 

The Genjutsu fell as chakra swelled and protection seals locked into place. Ashura absent mindedly dispelled the clone he had left with the rebels and hoped that they remembered his instructions. Danzo was a formidable opponent on his own, with reinforcements he would be unstoppable.

"Uzumaki too? You would side with these traitors before the village?" Danzo said, looking between the two.

"I think you've mistaken just who the traitor is over here, Danzo." Ashura returned coldly. "An underground army against the Hokage's orders does not a loyal shinobi make." 

"ROOT is for the benefit of Konoha. Hiruzen is too soft to make the ugly decisions so I had to do it for him." His face contorted into an ugly smile and Ashura gritted his teeth at the shamelessness of his statement.

"Sabotaging loyal shinobi is for the good of the village?" The redhead returned impassionedly. "Stealing clan children. Robbing them if their childhoods, their innocence. How is any of that beneficial to anyone besides yourself?" 

"I have only ever done what is good for Konoha. My own goals have never interfered."

"Discrediting other Hokage candidates to open up the spot for yourself is as self serving as if gets, old man." Shisui interjected. "Don't delude yourself." 

Danzo just glared at them, Killing Intent ratcheting. "You are children. You cannot even begin to understand the strength it takes to make these decisions. But I cannot allow you to live long enough to learn." With that, he raised his hand to the bandages on his eye and unwrapped them, revealing a sick, spinning Sharingan embedded in his eye socket. 

Ashura was frozen. Staring terrified at the doujutsu that he couldn't help but fear. He had averted his eyes as was habit but the crimson in his peripheral vision was sickening him. Beside him, Shisui was nearly trembling with rage.

"Interesting. Your fear is nearly palpable, Ashura kun. It looks like Madara really did a number on you, didn't he?" Danzo said conversationally.

"You sick bastard." Shisui began, voice low and saturated in hatred. Even his hair was shaking with the force of his rage. "Eye thief. Betrayer! How- how dare you! That belongs to my clan!"

"Your clan belongs to the village. Your techniques belong to the village. Your body belongs to the village. I just repurposed it." 

Surprisingly it was that statement, so similar to the one Ashura had struggled to train out of Kinoe's mindset, that helped him get a grip on his rising panic. Before he could reply however, he caught the surreptitious hand sign that indicated the clones had completed the gathering of information. He didn't wait for the man to continue talking, rushing suddenly at him and collecting his chakra into the marker outside ROOT headquarters. His free hand grabbed Shisui's and he forced himself through the dimensional tunnel that flung all three of them outside. 

"Hiraishin!"

He had never carried others with him through a Hiraishin tunnel and it left him disconcerted and dazed when they landed. Thankfully, Shisui had the presence of mind to get him out of the Elder's grip before he was killed by the man.

"Katon-Gokakyou no Jutsu!" Shisui called, sending a massive ball of fire at Danzo.

"Suiton- Hatō no Jutsu." Danzo countered calmly. "You are a child. You both are children. You simply cannot match up to the strength my experience affords me."

Ashura didn't bother contradicting the statement, instead unsealing and sending a paper explosion tag in Danzo's direction. "Shisui, the finishing attack." He called, hoping the Uchiha would remember. His barrier seals bloomed as Shisui body flickered into the path of the falling tag and dropped it precisely where Ashura was hoping. The resulting explosion threw Danzo backwards until he landed in a low crouch, fury evident in his expression. His chakra flared wildly, leaving Ashura confused as to the reason for the pointless action. It was evident a minute later.

"What did you do, Uzumaki?" Danzo growled, menacingly. "Where are the rest of the ROOT operatives?"

Ashura grinned at him triumphantly. No wonder Danzo was so angry. He must have tried to call for them and failed. "They are all Sealed. You dared to use Uzushio Fuuinjutsu for your disgusting plans and I refused to allow that. No person bearing the Complete Binding Seal can leave the headquarters once they have entered it!"

Danzo was nearly apoplectic with rage. The Sharingan morphed into a pinwheel shape and he spat, "Amaterasu."

Almost unconsciously, Ashura was throwing himself against the attack, his father's barrier seal forming around him and taking the brunt of the black flame's fury. The shock on Danzo's expression would almost have been amusing if their situation wasn't so dire.

Unfortunately that seal had taken out most of his chakra reserves and he could feel the burn against his coils. "You have to destroy the eye, Shisui. I'm so so sorry for asking this of you, but we can't fight against it." He whispered urgently to his partner, guilt burning in the pit of his stomach as he saw the devastated expression on Shisui's face.

"I know." He said sadly. "Dispel your clones, I'll-"

There was a sudden burst of chakra and vines erupted from the ground, reaching out for them furiously. Ashura yelped and only just managed to dodge the wild plant, frantically searching for the figure he knew was there.

"Kinoe!"

The boy ignored him, turning instead to the councilman. "Danzo sama. Your orders?"

Danzo, to his credit, didn't bother worrying about how Kinoe had escaped the Seal and immediately ordered him to kill the two boys. With a low, "as you command", Kinoe finally faced Ashura. There was a slight crack in his facade, the faintest undercurrent of pain when he realised who he was to be facing but it was buried the next instant when he let shuriken and kunai fly at the two boys.

"Kinoe, please!" Ashura managed to get out, before diving out of the weapon's path. "Please listen. Danzo is a traitor. He's working against the village, against the Hokage!"

"Danzo sama is an adequate commander. He directs our actions, in the most efficient way." The Mokuton user said as blankly as ever but Ashura caught the faintest hint of trepidation in his tone. "Mokuton- Moku Bunshin no Jutsu." 

Three wood clones appeared from Kinoe's form, already making handseals. Ashura just had time to draw the standard barrier seal when a swirling mass of water struck the glowing blue shield. He could see Shisui sending his own Katon techniques at Danzo, hopefully holding his own. Now that they were outside ROOT, he was hoping that their fight would draw allies to their side.

"Kinoe, remember what we spoke about? About how your actions deserve to be your own? He stole your emotions, he stole your childhood! Please don't-" 

He was cut off by another whirlwind of branches, rushing at him and he screamed in pain when one of them managed to piece him through the shoulder. He fell to one knee, trying to stem the bleeding from his shoulder. "Just think, please." He gasped out. "What good does sabotaging our forces do? You have to be loyal to the village not to one man. Just think for yourself!" 

"I-I can't. A tool mustn't have emotions. Wha-What are you saying?" The slightly panicked edge to Kinoe's voice was a good sign but the next second Ashura was flung through the air by the flat end of another branch, landing heavily on the ground. His chest was on fire and he could feel the broken ribs grating against each other as he spat out several mouthfuls of blood. At least it gave him a second of respite before Kinoe reached his prone form, enough that his clones reached the surface as well.

Ashura thanked every God he knew for his chakra reserves as all seven clones immediately threw themselves at the Mokuton user, distracting him from the real Uzumaki. Unsealing bandages, he bound his shoulder and used the smallest amount of chakra to stabilise his ribs enough to fight again.

A sudden rush of memories and s slight boost to his chakra reserves indicated that at least one clone had been destroyed. Apparently the ROOT operatives had stopped fighting the rebels when Danzo had reached the surface, their connection shorting out the moment he was outside the influence of the protection seals. There had been two deaths and a couple of injuries but nothing else and the children seemed content to stay within headquarters until given further instructions.

Ashura heaved a sigh of relief at that before he caught sight of Shisui being struck brutally across the jaw by a chakra reinforced wind bullet. His nose was bleeding and there were scratches on his cheeks suspiciously close to his eyes. Even as he watched, Danzo reached out, bony fingers grabbing again for the spinning Sharingan eyes. 

"Kawarimi no Jutsu!" 

He was shorter than Shisui which allowed him to duck under the grasping hand and kick the Elder in the chest in his momentary lapse of concentration. He grinned savagely at the crunch of bones under his heel even as his own ribs twinged in sympathy. 

"Are you okay? What happened to your shoulder?" Shisui's worried face appeared behind him a second later, having Body Flickered back into the fight.

"Fine, my clones are dealing with Kinoe." He suppressed the disappointment in his voice at being unable to convince the stoic Mokuton user, but Shisui heard it anyway. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, well what can you do?" His shrug was aborted by the flare of pain in his shoulder and he winced again. "Our priority is Dan-"

His mouth fell open as a new rush of memories indicating a fallen clone filled his mind. It must have been one of the clones reading the scrolls, because all he got was a rush of names and details he didn't recognise.

Except for one.

The mission on August 18th, 62 years after Konoha, was to Uzushiogakure. It was assigned to four shinobi and marked as a possible suicide mission. More tellingly, the mission objective was to destroy or otherwise sabotage the postage seals that connected Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure. The very same seals that Uzushio might use to call for help or receive information on a potential threat of invasion. 

The seals that he knew had failed when the invasion started.

Below these damning details, it was written in Danzo's neat handwriting, 'Send an additional team to collect the sealing scrolls of the Uzushio archives.'

Ashura saw red.

Beside him, he was aware of Shisui asking him what was wrong and farther away, the sound of Kinoe's fight with his clones. He could even sense the distant signatures of probable allies rushing to the site but his hate was directed entirely at the man pushing himself up from where he had been flung. He had the presence of mind to look away from the Sharingan but only just and he knew that the Killing Intent in the air had just soared. 

"You murderous back-stabbing _traitor._ " He spat with such fury that even Danzo looked momentarily taken aback. "We had a treaty, you bastard. _We were allies!_ "

"Ashura! Shisui! What on earth is happening?" Minato called as he landed lightly in the branch above their head. Kushina's chakra signature was right behind him as was at least ten other shinobi.

"What happened!? Shura, what did he do?" Shisui said, looking a mix between confused and furious. He knew his friend and knew that he would not show such anger without a good cause but from his perspective Ashura had just suddenly started shouting accusations.

"This _traitor_ sabotaged Uzushio's defences. He was the reason for her destruction. We were allies! And he just decided that they had served their purpose! They were my fa-mily." Ashura could feel the beginning of hot tears burn at his eyes as his voice broke on the last word but he was too furious to care. "I'm going to kill him!" 

There was a gasp from the gathered shinobi and a sharp spike of Killing Intent from Kushina.

"So you do have it in you, Bleeding Angel. It was only a matter of time before you broke your foolish nindo." Danzo had the gall to smirk at the Uzumaki. "Unfortunately I don't really care for you besides how your death will impact your Uchiha." 

Ashura wavered at the reminder. Danzo's actions warred with his nindo even as he fought viciously. He had sworn never to kill in revenge but the thought of his village and how he would never see his friends and family ever again fanned the flames of his fury. Chakra scalpels formed in his hands and he parried Danzo's strikes with the sharpened edges until the man's hands were bleeding. His blades landed beside the artery in his neck, ready to slice it and he knew that with the chakra in them, it would be painful and slow, against everything he had ever believed but his broken heart was crying for revenge and he couldn't think through the hurt.

He increased the pressure, pushed against the thin skin of the man's neck but at the last second, he drew it back.

He couldn't do it.

Even with the knowledge that this man was on of those responsible for the worst incident of his life wouldn't allow him to kill in revenge. The chakra scalpels flickered and died down.

"You are a fool, Uzumaki."

Danzo threw himself forward, dodging Shisui's ineffectual attacks and Ashura's half hearted blows. They may have been a team but they didn't have enough experience to fight together against a seasoned veteran. The shinobi watching couldn't enter the battle either, without putting both sides at risk of losing their concentration. They were probably confused as to who to support as well, what with Ashura calling Danzo out as a traitor and his previous position as advisor to the Hokage. With a flick of his wrists, Danzo sent sealless wind bullets at Shisui, sending him careening to the side, groaning in pain. 

"I have been training you, boy. I know your pitiful Taijutsu style." He grabbed Ashura by the throat and turned to Shisui. There was an aborted motion from Minato but it was ineffective. "Watch, Uchiha. Your friend would never have been brought into this fight if not for your foolishness. You made him the target by sending him alone into enemy territory. Watch him as he dies, Uchiha and know that it is your fault. Amaterasu!"

Ashura _screamed_ and Shisui felt like he was going to be sick. He writhed around Danzo's iron grip on his throat, screaming in agony. Shisui's eyes burned and he felt something burst inside it but it was no where near the pain Ashura must be feeling. Even as he struggled to stand up, he knew it would be pointless. His own ineffective cries to stop drowned out by Ashura's screams.

"Shi- sui. Des-troy the eye. Please. Please. Ohh Go-d." Ashura gasped out through the agony. 

The black flames were obscuring his vision but he could make out Danzo's triumphant face and the eery Doujutsu spinning unnaturally. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't feel anything other than the endless pain. It felt so much worse that when Madara had used the technique, probably because of the extended period of time it was being held for but he couldn't find it in himself to care for anything beyond the endless pain.

And suddenly it stopped.

He fell from Danzo's grip, unable to even support himself but Shisui was there to catch him, trembling hands holding him as gently as they could. He was crying tears of blood but Ashura could see that his Sharingan had changed into the spinning pinwheel of the Mangekyou Sharingan. "I'm so sorry, Shura. I couldn't do anything. Please, please..." His voice broke. 

"Why did you do that? It makes no logical sense. If he is a traitor like you claim, then death is the only outcome. There was no need to torture Ashura." 

Kinoe's bewildered voice pierced Ashura's still ringing eardrums and he pushed himself weakly to see exactly how he had escaped Danzo's clutches. The hateful eye was pierced through with a deadly pointed branch and vines wrapped viciously around his body. 

"You have no right to question my orders, Kinoe. The boy's death will help me get the Uchiha's eyes." Danzo said, in as cold a tone as he could manage, captured as he was. "Release me at once!"

"That is for your own benefit. Not the village. You..." Kinoe's eyes were glassy with tears as he looked at Ashura and whispered in a broken tone. "This is sadness, isn't it." Ashura could only nod weakly at his friend.

"You... You stole my emotions." A single tear rolled down his cheek and the vines shivered as their weilder shook. "I was loyal to you, Danzo sama, loyal to Konoha and you..." 

"You are a tool to be used for the village. I am the one who gave you the strength to be useful."

"You broke me." Kinoe whispered and even the shinobi who had come to their assistance were silent at that statement. "Mokuton- Jubaku Eisō no Jutsu." 

The vines tightened around the Elder, growing taller until they intertwined into a magnificent tree towering over the surrounding forest. From within, Danzo's feeble struggles finally ceased and his head lolled as he took his last breath.


	17. Guilt Amidst the Grief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> I'm sorry about the delay but I had a writer's block that I just could not overcome. Anyway here is the chapter. Information and reactions mainly but it's more like a filler chapter than very plot-centric. Please comment what you thought, because I really, really love to read what you think of the chapter. Kudos are also much appreciated. Most of all, don't forget to
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> To bear the blame upon my name,  
>  To feel the guilt, the hurt, the shame,  
>  To bow like Atlas under its weight,  
>  To break over and over and over again,  
>  If only I don't have to see you in pain  
>  I'd do in a heartbeat to keep you safe.

"Iryo-nin! Get an iryo-nin here! Hurry!" 

Shisui barely afforded Danzo's body a second glance, his attention entirely focussed on the boy in his arms. Ashura's breathing was shallower than he had ever heard, lips trembling and slightly blue despite the slight sheen of perspiration over his face. His eyes were half-lidded and dazed with pain but the worst sight was where Danzo had held Amaterasu. 

The entirety of his torso was a mess of deep crimson and black flesh, and the smell brought bile inyo the back of Shisui's throat. His arms and legs were spared the worst of the jutsu but they were still shiny red and looked unbearably painful. As Shisui watched, his eyes closed further as he moaned incoherently in pain. 

"No. No! No! Come on Shura!" Shisui begged desperately. "Please, please stay awake. Come one. MEDIC!" The cold curling of guilt in his chest ached as he tried not to think about how Danzo had callously tortured Ashura just to see his reaction. The way he had blamed Shisui entirely for bringing the Uzumaki into that fight. 

"Shi- sui." Ashura managed to whisper hoarsely. "The... scroll. You ne-need to get the... scroll to Ho- kage."

"I'll get it. I promise, but you need to stay awake." Shisui said, doing his best to move the limp form as gently as he could and failing by the aborted scream Ashura released. "Sorry, sorry! I'm so-"

"Uchiha san. What happened?" The sound of the presumably iryo-nin's voice was the most beautiful thing Shisui had heard in his life and he breathed a sigh of relief when the man put a glowing green hand on Ashura's limp shoulder. The medic hissed sharply at the results of the diagnostic jutsu. 

"Prolonged exposure to chakra fire. Hotter than normal fire." He said, not taking his eyes away from Ashura's face. "Chakra exhaustion also." He added, noticing the way the seals on Ashura's arms were lightly glowing as they ached for chakra. 

"He needs immediate treatment. We'll have to take him back to the hospital to replace fluids and regrow the burnt flesh and skin." He sounded worried and it made the Shisui's guilt only grow. 

"Can't." Ashura interrupted in a gasp that they barely managed to catch. "Ne-need to... report to Ho- kage."

"Shinobi san, you have third degree burns over most of your torso and you are going into shock! Your chakra is dangerously low. You need to be treated." 

"Treat the... sho- ck. Give me a... chakra trans-transfusion and I... I'll continue heal-ing myself. Rest when I get back... to- to the hospital." He said hoarsely, gasping against the pain that racked his body. He knew it was good news that he could still feel pain but when he couldn't breathe from the agony he couldn't really be grateful for it.

"I can't allow that, shinobi san. These are near fatal injuries. Surely you can-" "Can't" Ashura said hoarsely. "Witnesses... and evidence for tre-treason." "In desperation the man turned to Shisui. "Is it that important, Uchiha san?" The medic asked curtly.

Shisui hesitated but nodded reluctantly.

The medic gritted his teeth in helpless anger. "Fine. Fine. How are your chakra levels, Uchiha san? Can you afford to donate any?" The medic turned his attention back to Ashura, hand glowing once more and Shisui probed his one system, wincing as he realised that he was just as drained. "I can't. I'm empty too."

"See if one of the others will donate then. Jounin preferably. The more experienced the better." The man said nodding in the direction of the gathered shinobi. "I'm trying to stabilise him." 

That's when Shisui realised what was going on around him. The gathered shinobi were trying to apprehend a blank faced ROOT operative, Kinoe if he remembered right, who wasn't doing anything to avoid it. They had almost certainly heard what had happened and while they couldn't know exactly what Danzo had done, Ashura's branding of him as a traitor was damning enough that they weren't treating the boy as an enemy. However they were certainly treating him with suspicion though that was likely because of his weilding the Shodaime's lost kekkei genkai. No doubt he would be executed within the hour if the Elders realise that they are at risk. 

His gaze settled on the blond head of Minato san and he sighed in relief. He had barely taken a few steps forward when he felt his knees buckle, only then realising just how drained he was. It had been a long and painful battle and Danzo was far more powerful than he was. He held no illusions that if it weren't for his eyes, Danzo would not have let him live. 

"Minato san!" He called out. He lowered his voice when the man Body Flickered to him. "Can you donate chakra to Ashura? We need to report to Hokage sama as soon as possible." 

A brief nod was his answer before Minato was already extending an arm towards the medic working on his partner. "I'm completely full. Take as much as he needs." A brief glance at the open wound brought a pained expression to his face and he turned away quickly. "What happened?"

"We were assigned a mission to gather information on Danzo's treasonous actions." Shisui said shortly, very carefully not mentioning the other Elders. It wasn't that he distrusted Minato but he could not risk that getting out before they were caught and as they were, neither he nor Ashura could defend themselves from an assassination attempt.

The medic's hands glowed green as he acted as a channel between the two shinobi. There was the slightest healing of the wound in the edges but it was far too slow for Shisui's comfort. 

The medic seemed to think the same thing. "Is that the fastest you can heal, Uzumaki san?"

"More or... less." Ashura managed. "M' chakra's too... too dense to send through la-larger wounds at once." 

"Are you sure Ashura is needed for the report?" Minato said, sounding worried as well.

"Unfortunately yes." Shisui said tightly. "He knows the workings of ROOT."

"That's really not good. I'll need a bit of time to heal and patch up the worst parts" The iryo-nin said tersely, lifting his hand from Minato's arm and already beginning to heal Ashura.

Shisui looked around in despair. The shinobi had moatly left save the few eyeing them suspiciously, no doubt waiting to escort them to T&I as well. He couldn't see the ROOT operative anymore either. The longer they waited, the more time the Elders got to gather allies and save themselves or worse, kill the children who could serve as witnesses. 

"Call for the... clan leaders, Shi-sui. Tell... Tell Ho-Hokage we are coming and take... take the storage scroll to him. Take Hiraishin... marker to his office and... Ah!" Ashura gasped with a new wave of pain taht washed over his ruined body, dazed eyes squeezing shut against the agony. "Pu-pulse chakra... through it. I'll co-come then."

Shisui gritted his teeth helplessly. As much as he didn't want to leave Ashura alone, he knew that it was the best plan. "Do you have a soldier pill?" He asked instead in lieu of agreement and swallowed the tablet dry when he got it. Once more he hesitated, looking back at Ashura. "Stay alive." He whispered, the only goodbye he was willing to afford. 

"I will." Ashura promised. "Keep the Elders there.

With a nod, both Minato and Shisui Body Flickered away from the iryo-nin and his charge. Ashura ignored the involuntary fear at being left alone and incapacitated in front of a possible enemy. The man was efficient and talented, ignoring the other wounds and focussing strictly on the burn. 

Ashura was beyond grateful for Kinoe's destruction of Danzo's stolen eye. If he had to suffer Amaterasu for seven days like Madara had caused, he would have surely died. He wasn't in the habit of considering what-ifs but the thought that Kinoe could have chosen to incapacitate Danzo in any other way left him breathless in fear. 

It also left him almost insane in his rage, knowing the part the crooked Elder had played in Uzushio's fall. He had never hated a person as much as he did Shimura Danzo; not the Kiri and Iwa nin who were carrying out a duty, not Madara who needed information, not Zetsu who had his own plans, but he truly and absolutely did _despise_ Danzo for condemning an entire nation to death for a chance to steal information that wasn't even necessary.

He hoped the medic took his tears of rage to be that of pain.

At that moment he felt a distant tugging on his drained chakra system and blinked the traitorous liquid out of his eyes. The healing was nowhere near done but he had no choice and said so.

"Let it be known that I'm NOT recommending this in the slightest but it has to be done. Keep it uncovered. Finish the report immediately and send word. We'll send someone to take you back. If you start feeling drained, stop healing. Chakra exhaustion for the second time in one night WILL be fatal. Understand?" 

Ashura nodded his gratitude and dragged himself to his feet painfully, vision going white for a second as he tried to adjust. He felt blindly for the Hiraishin marker and dragged himself through the dimensional tunnel with a groan.

He found himself on his knees in front of Sarutobi's desk and gritted his teeth as he hunched over. Shisui's hand was under his own in a second, the callouses rough against his burned skin but insignificant amongst the pain of his torso.

He leaned heavily on Shisui and what he could sense was Kagami sensei as he got to his feet. Standing beside the Hokage were the wizened faces of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, scowls prominent but the barest hint of fear in their eyes. The Yamanaka and Nara heads he recognised from his own interrogation and the heavy set redhead beside them must be the Akimichi head. Strangely, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuuga Hiashi were standing beside each other despite what Ashura knew about the feuds the clans had with each other. The scattered chakra of the hooded figure and feral appearance of the tattooed woman beside him designated them as Aburame and Inuzuka heads respectively. Somehow Shisui seemed to have managed to get Orochimaru and Kagami to attend as well though Minato's presence meant that maybe Danzo had been telling the truth when he claimed the man was Hokage candidate.

"Hiruzen, you can't expect to conduct a meeting with the boy can you? He's a breath away from collapsing. Certainly not when Danzo's murderer has not been apprehended as yet." Koharu said disdainfully. "And to call all the heads as well, how presumptuous!"

"Silence, Koharu." Hiruzen said sharply. He sounded furious and Ashura admired the control it took to keep that fury from showing on his face. His tone softened. "Forgive me for the rush, Ashura kun. Please report."

Ashura opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Kagami.

" _Everything_."

The tightening of Hiruzen's mouth was his only reply but he did not say anything else.

Shisui took a deep breath. "S-ranked infiltration mission assigned to jounin Uchiha Shisui and probationary jounin Uzumaki Ashura to gather information on Shimura Danzo and his associates' treasonous actions."

There was a gasp and the Elders opened their mouths to interrupt but a deadly glare from both Kagami and Hiruzen quelled their momentary rebellion.

As Shisui went on to report his results before Ashura had joined the village, the Uzumaki focussed on his wound. Slowly, he felt the torn nerves reconnect, wincing at the ones that were destroyed beyond repair. By the time Shisui had begun speaking about the Complete Binding Seal, the pain was manageable enough to speak through though he knew it wouldn't be that way for long.

"Danzo used the Complete Binding Seal on all his ROOT soldiers. I went undercover within the organisation and found it to be primarily consisting of children raised from childhood within ROOT. They were either born specifically because of a useful kekkei genkai or stolen from orphanages and the Academy dropouts. The rest were Genin presumed missing or killed in action, who were under the belief that they were in the Genin Corps. They were all sealed on their tongue, preventing them from speaking anything Danzo deems incriminating.

The ones who rebel have their seals adjusted to the tenketsu points, leaving their chakra systems to be controlled by Danzo if he so desired." He avoided looking at Orochimaru as he added. "The ones he wanted for knowledge, he sealed on their temples"

He could see the horror in most of his audience's expressions but he knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg where Danzo was concerned. "He had assigned both assassination and suicide missions, both of which are out of his authority to assign."

"The information gathering that the visible part of ROOT performs is a front." Shisui added. "Most of the information is either already known or unimportant in the long run, thereby wasting resources that could be used for the village."

Ashura took the interruption as a reprieve long enough to glance at the council they had gathered. There was a subtle tension in the air, the faintest scent of Killing Intent but only the slightest swaying of allies to their side. The clan heads were not likely to be proactive in protecting orphans and civilian born shinobi and thus far Danzo's actions while morally reprehensible, didn't seem as terrible to hardened shinobi who had seen and done far worse than watch children die.

It was easy to look at a distant picture and sympathise with unfortunate people, it was easy to write laws that would serve as guidelines and it was all too easy to mourn after an event. Humans were built for sympathy, very few people actually managed to overcome their natural thought process of, "what's in it for me?" and empathise instead. 

Shinobi very rarely did.

Still, Ashura could see the pity in the Akimichi clan head and the feral expression of the Inuzuka head showed her displeasure as well. The Yamanaka and Aburame were nearly impossible to read, the former due to his training and the latter because of his attire. The Hyuuga and Uchiha heads were blank and the Nara just looked speculative. 

"Hiruzen, you approved ROOT to be organised under Danzo's command. You can hardly be displeased when he built an army for Konoha to command." Koharu said, her pallor almost back to normal in the absence of damning evidence against her.

Ashura tensed in preparation to defend himself as he spoke"He had two allies in recruiting. The head of the Academy, Utarane Koharu would ensure that powerful children would be failed out of the academy before they became too memorable. Similarly, Mitokado Homura would pick the orphans who were likely to grow into strong shinobi. And if you would allow me to finish, Utatane san, I will show you just how damaging it was to Konoha as well as the proof of my claims." The Uzumaki said curtly when Koharu opened her mouth to speak. "Do you have the scroll Shisui?"

Shisui gave him a look as if daring him to waste even a drop of chakra on unsealing after near-fatal chakra exhaustion and Ashura just smiled at him wanly, too tired and in pain for it to be entirely genuine as he handed it over to the Hokage. "There are several hundred missions sealed in that as well as details about the Elders' roles and actions within ROOT. They are only the more important missions I found. Shisui has several more memorised with his Sharingan and he will probably copy them out when he gets time."

Shisui nodded, looking unnaturally solemn. "They are... bad." His fists were clenched. "There was one entirely on Kagami ji san's Sharingan and how it would work with a non Uchiha chakra system."

There was a audible gasp from the heads of the doujutsu bearing clans. 

"Until the Third Shinobi War, the missions were primarily sabotage against officially solicited missions. There was one against the Sannin," here he glanced at Orochimaru but he did not react. "and one against Hatake Sakumo."

That garnered a reaction and more than half of the audience blanched at the name. The Hokage looked impossibly old, hunched over his desk like a turtle, his wizened hands gripping the table like a lifeline.

"Koharu chan, Homura," he said, the pain in his voice shocking the young Jounin. "Please, I implore you, tell me you did not know of this!"

When the two council members' expressions tightened, Hiruzen just closed his eyes tightly. A lifetime of control was the only thing that kept the tears from his cheeks though he had no doubt his three oldest friends could see through it in an instant. 

Or perhaps they wouldn't be able to see it, after all he clearly didn't know them as well as he had hoped. 

"Why?" He said instead of voicing the song of betrayal his heart was wailing. "What did Sakumo kun do that deserved this fate?"

"Hiruzen, he had ties to the Land of Iron. You know he was a former samurai and his wife was the only thing tying him to Konoha. Stone was already extending their borders and Danzo said that he was a liability."

The name brought a sour taste to Hiruzen's mouth. His grief at his friend's death, despite the circumstances, was already edged in betrayal but the longer Ashura kun and Shisui kun spoke, the more it became resentment. The two Elders were sheep, he realised, too reliant on Danzo to even consider another's point of view. 

They had supported Danzo's Hokage candidacy as well, he remembered, while Torifu and Kagami had supported him. When Tobirama sensei had chosen him, he thought it an act of goodwill to extend the closest positions to them but even that had backfired.

Backfired so badly that he had put the children back onto the frontlines. The one goal Konoha was built to prevent, the goal that Tobirama had given his life for.

"Were there any other sabotage missions?" Nara Shikaku said suddenly, scratching his goatee idly. "Recently, I mean. Close to and around the start of the Third War. And directed only at one person." 

"Just the Sannin, Nara sama." Shisui replied.

The man nodded as if confirming a hypothesis. "He was taking out opponents." He said wryly, a hint of anger burning through the veneer of laziness. "Sakumo san was Hokage candidate as were the Sannin. At least unofficially. No doubt Minato's sudden rise to power was not something he predicted. That or Danzo might have expected him to be looked over due to his age."

There was a smattering of nods.

"If I may, Hokage sama, Danzo was building an army very specifically of kekkei genkai holders and rare ones at that. Mokuton, Sharingan and Byakugan are only the beginning. He had reports on a Nara girl who could hide within the shadows, an Aburame with a poisonous hive, a Yamanaka with a more agressive Mind Transfer jutsu and so many others. He also had rooms full of specialised weapons and a plan to deal with every clan should they have to face them. All that combined with Nara sama's theory implies that he was either going to build his own village or take over Konoha." Ashura said, slurring the last few lines slightly as he felt his chakra reserves drop. 

The pain was back with a vengeance and what little healing he had managed was not nearly as helpful as he needed it to be. Around him there was furious muttering from the clan heads and the Killing Intent had risen like a tide, making it difficult to breathe.

"The children are loyal to him?" Yamanaka Inoichi said with a grim set to his mouth.

"Not..." He cut himself off with an inaudible groan. "Not all of them. More than half of them are loyal to the village first. And the rest can be reasoned with. The boy who killed Danzo, Kinoe was originally completely loyal to him. They are brainwashed and manipulated but mind healing will definitely help them." He would have preferred to say more in their favour but he couldn't think beyond the pain now.

"I see." The undercurrent of doubt in the voice made Ashura grit his teeth.

"Uzumaki kun, Uchiha kun", Hyuuga Hiashi said smoothly, eyeing Ashura's trembling limbs. "I think it would be best if you complete your report before we speculate any further on consequences. Please describe the events of last night." 

Ashura took the order gratefully, the sooner he could finish, the sooner he could collapse. He spoke shortly about the rebels and the seals he had carved. When he got to the part where they searched the mission room, he let Shisui take over.

"We left clones to continue compiling the reports while Ashura used Hiraishin to take the fight outside in hopes of alerting allies. Kinoe was ordered to fight Ashura while Danzo and I battled." He took a breath. "He spent the entirety of the battle trying to take my eyes."

"What?" 

"WHAT!"

The immediate outcry of the two Uchiha in the room was to be expected but Shisui was surprised to see the outrage on almost all of his listeners. 

"As I'm sure Minato san will testify, he already had one Sharingan in his bandaged eye. In the middle of our fight, Ashura managed to keep Kinoe occupied and saved me. He accused Danzo of Uzushio's destruction?" He turned to look questioningly at the Uzumaki who looked devastated.

When he spoke his voice was beyond hoarse. "We captured three ROOT soldiers a week before...that day. They were killed remotely most likely through the Complete Binding Seal. Their... Their mission was to disable the postage seals so that we couldn't call for help when Kiri and Iwa arrived."

The tears streamed down his grimy face but he made no move to wipe them away, letting them drip gently onto the ground. For a long moment the gentle plip- plip of his tears was the only sound.

"You didn't kill him." Minato said softly.

"No I didn't." Ashura whispered.

"He deserved to die. His sentence would have been death either way." Shikaku said, eyeing him with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Yes he did. But if I killed him, it would have been in revenge and I... couldn't do that." The Uzumaki said and the bitter hatred in his tone silenced the Jounin Commander.

"Complete the report, Shisui kun." The Hokage said, his Kage's hat in his hands and his grey head bowed.

Shisui's hand tightened on Ashura's shoulder and he shot him a look before continuing. "He used Am- a Sharingan technique on Ashura and..." He mouth tightened into a grimace. "I didn't- couldn't do anything and he almost died!" His next words were almost inaudible. "I thought he was dead."

Kagami's head shot up so fast, Ashura almost thought he got a whip lash. His dark eyes were trained entirely on his grandson, fingers clenching and unclenching as he continued to speak. Across the room, Fugaku was watching Shisui closely as well.

"Kinoe managed to send a branch and destroy the eye in time thankfully and he was the one to kill Danzo. They exchanged a few words but I didn't manage to catch it."

"He said, "You stole my emotions and then you broke me."" Minato said softly.

There was a ripple of unease through the room.

"Shisui." Fugaku said. "Activate your Sharingan."

Ashura glanced up in time to catch a glimpse of the crimson eyes, swirling with a pinwheel instead of the three tomoe he knew were there previously. His breath caught in his throat as he instinctively tore his eyes away from the doujutsu.

"Mangekyou." Fugaku breathed and Ashura flinched away from Shisui.

Bile rose in his throat even as he scrabbled for the control he had gained over the last few months. The panic tempered with the blinding pain of the cursed black flame left his terrified and helpless.

"Shura." Shisui reached out to his partner but Ashura just flinched away from him, turquoise eyes dazed in fear and pain. The hurt and shock was blatant on the Uchiha's face but in that second, Ashura couldn't bring himself to lean into his support.

"Hiruzen."

Kagami had been uncharacteristically silent through the report and it was the complete blankness in his tone that made the Kage wince. "They have given their report. I'm taking them to the hospital. Now."

The Hokage nodded in acquiescence. "Go." He hesitated, as the Uchiha placed a hand gently on the Uzumaki to lift him without aggravating the devastating injuries.

"I'm sorry. Kagami." He said quietly as they three left but if the man had heard his apology, he gave no indication of it.

With a weary sigh, he turned to the two Elders in the room, weariness being replaced by anger in an instant as he saw the blatant disrespect and arrogance in their eyes. Actions spoke louder than words and he would prove his apology through them. He may be the softest Hokage of the softest village but they knew better than most how far his masks lay.

______________________________________________________

By the time they made it to the hospital, Ashura was unconscious. Shisui couldn't help the dull stab of guilt every time he caught a glimpse of the wound or the pain Ashura was obviously in. He hated that he could remember with perfect clarity, how Danzo had held the smaller body by the throat and let the deadly black flames eat at it with no compassion. His skin crawled as he remembered how Danzo had ordered him to watch the result of his own actions. 

And no matter how you looked at it, it was true, he thought bitterly. He had let Ashura go alone into the heart of the enemy territory without backup, despite the pretty promises of partnership they had made. After all Ashura had done for him, he had repayed him by just staring blankly as he was killed. 

So much for partners.

He shivered slightly as he felt his own fatigue beginning to make itself known, the temporary burst of chakra the soldier pill afforded having worn off in time as it was won't to. He knew that it meant that he would crash like Ashura soon, but for the moment, he gritted his teeth and forced his trembling limbs to follow his grandfather to the hospital. Let Ashura get treated first, he would go after.

The hospital was obviously prepared, the medic from earlier having already sent ahead warnings and they swarmed the Uchiha with terrifying efficiency the moment they caught sight of the limp body of his friend. 

"What about you, Uchiha san?" He flinched violently away from the medic behind him, too caught up in his thoughts to recognise the non-threatening movement. 

"It's just chakra exhaustion." He muttered quietly. "I'm fine."

"With all due respect, Uchiha san," she said, brown eyes squinted in admonishment. "I can see at least four injuries that require chakra healing without a diagnostic jutsu."

Shisui had barely opened his mouth to argue when his grandfather interrupted with a quiet, "Go with the iryo-nin, Shisui."

"But Ashura-"

"Go. I have to talk to you as well and I'll tell them to inform us once Ashura is stabilized."

Shisui gritted his teeth but didn't argue, allowing himself to be led and treated by the medic.

"What did you want to tell me?" He said flatly.

Kagami just looked meaningfully at the medic who was still within earshot but Shisui just scoffed. "You're here to tell me about the Mangekyou. I'm not stupid. Don't worry I'm not going to betray the village like Madara."

"I never considered that." Kagami said gruffly. "And I very much doubt Fugaku does either. Besides while it is rare, you aren't the only one who activated their Mangekyou."

Shisui looked up, startled. "Really?" He breathed. "But everyone always says Madara-"

"I activated my Mangekyou when Tobirama sensei sacrificed himself for us." Kagami interrupted brusquely. "I call it sacrifice but to sensei, it was just a logical play against the enemy. One life lost versus six and we were all becoming powerful enough to earn our own reputations as well. So he chose to die in our place." A wet chuckle. "No Uchiha would ever accept that logic."

"Of course not!" Shisui said indignantly. "People's lives aren't kunai that you can count and barter away."

"Exactly. Which means that I blamed myself for the death of my teacher, the closest thing I had to a father, for years after his death."

"What changed?" Shisui asked softly.

"Nothing. I still blame myself and I kost likely always will. An Uchiha's mind is predisposed to guilt. It's a way of forcing the mind to activate the Mangekyou. But even then, it is ridiculously hard to achieve it without guilt so potent, you can't bear it."

He mentally marvelled at the bond between the two boys. To evoke grief powerful enough to achieve the Mangekyou, and that to after barely six months of companionship. But then again, he knew how charismatic Ashura was and while Shisui was the most visible, he had already won the hearts of several important players in Konoha.

He looked back at Shisui who was struggling to hide his pain behind the blank expression and sighed heavily. 

He gathered his grandson into his arms, tucking the bandaged head under his chin and held him tightly, not saying anything about the tears that stained the rough linen of his shirt. He hadn't held Shisui like this for years, since he had received the news of his parents' death but he did so now, cradling him like the child he was. 

"It is my fault, Kagami ji san! Ashura wouldn't be injured if Danzo didn't want these stupid eyes. Ashura wouldn't be injured if I hadn't let him into enemy territory without backup. Ashura wouldn't even have been in ROOT if I had just done my job properly!" 

Kagami just tightened his grip and forced his own tears back. "The Mangekyou Sharingan requires guilt borne from watching the death of a loved one. Izanagi wills it, you will never have to see that but right now just be grateful that Ashura is still breathing. Use that guilt to make sure it never happens again." He said fiercely.

In a room, not too far from the Uchiha, the limp body of Uzumaki Ashura lay still and silent while three medics worked to keep his heart beating against the chakra drain while a fourth healed the burn across his torso. The seals tied to his life force shuttered between dim and aglow as he stood between life and death. The room was ablaze in the dull green light of healing chakra.

Far away, to the south of the village hidden in the leaves, an ocean and a nation urged their last soldier to live.


	18. Cicatrize the Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> ...Sorry? I didn't have much inspiration cuz the arc just ended and I didn't know how I wanted to continue. Still I'm pretty proud of this one and I like the bits of foreshadowing I've left in it. To all the people who comment on this fic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. O love reading your opinions and ideas on where the fic could go. If you happen to like this chapter too, please lemme know below and if you want someone to be mentioned or something to happen, lemme know that as well and I'll consider it. Kudos of course, are always welcome. As always, I hope that you,
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> When appearances deceive with faces obscured,  
>  And people are not what they seem,  
>  When bodies bleed from cuts by shards,  
>  Of broken trust from knowledge gleaned.

Perhaps it wasn't all that surprising that Ashura snuck out of the hospital.

While he knew, or at least had been told, just how close he had come to death, he could barely remember the meeting with the Hokage, let alone his dramatic near fatal rush to the hospital. When he had awoken, more that forty eight hours after, he was greeted by the thick, ropy burn scars across his torso and though he knew that the life of a shinobi lent itself to scars, he couldn't help the bile that rose in his throat at the sight.

He was lucky, they said. Lucky that he knew the bare minimum of healing, that even unconscious, his body had continued to heal the wounds as he had conditioned it to, back in Madara's cave. He was lucky that that hateful eye had been destroyed by Kinoe or else he would be dead from the strength of the Amaterasu. Lucky that he had a naturally stronger vitality that helped him fight the infection.

He was starting to really question their idea of luck.

Kagami sensei was the one to tell him about the fate of the other Elders. The two had been sentenced to death for treason, a sentence Kagami sensei said he hadn't been able to attend though Ashura could read between the lines enough to know that he hadn't been able to watch his teammates be put to death in front of him, not after decades of guarding their backs. Still, Ashura hated the part of him that relaxed slightly at the news that they wouldn't be able to continue their unscrupulous scheming.

Minato and Kushina had also been to meet him, the latter tearfully glomping him before fretting over his injuries and assuring him that he would be welcome in their house whenever he was discharged. They smiled secretively at him before giving their own news- the short little document that proclaimed them man and wife. It appeared that his nearly three month long disappearance had left him with a lot to catch up on. 

Not the least of which was Obito's near mastery of Mokuton. The scarred boy had nearly cried when he came to visit bringing along the rest of Team Minato, his tears only drying up when Kakashi had drily commented on the out of season flowering trees outside the window. Rin had been much less reserved, though she worried over his gaunt frame and fresh scars.

All in all, he had plenty of visitors but the one person, he had been waiting to see had not shown up. According to Kagami sensei, he and Shisui had been put into the same room, but when the latter had been discharged before he woke up, he hadn't shown his face. Ashura had a vague memory of panicking at the sight of Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan but he wasn't sure if that was one of the new nightmares he had been blessed with nor was he particularly eager to know. 

The mere thought of Shisui's eyes spinning with that horrifying pinwheel and sending him back into the crimson Tsukiyomi world left him shaking and weak, trembling with fear and gasping for breath. He knew logically, that Shisui wouldn't do anything like that, not even on accident but his instinctive panic at the doujutsu overwhelmed his logical mind. He didn't know why Shisui had chosen not to see him but he hated that he was secretly relieved that he wouldn't have to face him while he was too injured to fight back. More than that he hated that he was too cowardly to even ask Kagami sensei about him. 

When two days turned to four, and he hadn't managed to keep from slowly going insane within his mind, he snuck out of the hospital. A simple Genjutsu and a camouflage seal later, he found himself walking softly through the deserted streets of the village. It was well past sunset and even though there were still merchants hawking their wares, there wasn't much of a crowd. He purposely took unfamiliar roads, hoping that the neutral location would quiet his overactive mind. 

Eventually his meandering led him to what he assumed must have been a training ground, though it didn't seem to have been used in a while. The grass was overgrown and the woods that bordered it were dark and unwelcoming. As he stepped curiously through the foliage he caught sight of the slight flickering of candles and stopped short at the looming stone monument it illuminated.

The Konoha Memorial Stone.

Uzushio had never had anything like it. With so few active shinobi, there was always someone to remember the dead and a monument was too impersonal a tribute to family. However as he crept forward, transfixed by the hundreds of engraved names, that wouldn't be the case in a village as large as Konoha. It was beautiful, a tribute but somehow cold and forbidding, with the white marble etched with name after name of deceased Leaf shinobi. 

The sheer volume of death almost overwhelmed him and in a rush he realised that there were nearly as many Uzushio shinobi who had fallen in the invasion and still more forgotten when their last living relatives joined them in the Pure Lands. With a sharp spike of pain in his chest, he was reminded that no matter how much he tried, he wouldn't be able to remember them all alone.

He hadn't thought about them when he faced Danzo. He hadn't considered whose revenge he ought to be taking when he foolishly succumbed to emotion. He hadn't recalled Uzushio's shinobi when he faced the man behind their murders. He hadn't remembered them and the hot coil of guilt was burning him up from the inside. 

"I don't think you should be out of the hospital just yet, Ashura." Kakashi's lazy drawl rang through the clearing as he landed softly beside the redhead. 

Ashura ignored him but he wasn't deterred.

"And while I certainly can't judge someone trying to escape that hellhole, Kushina nee san might sacrifice me if I left you here all alone." He continued, nudging Ashura in the ribs.

Ashura swallowed heavily. He ignored how it sounded hoarse and strangled like he had been crying. "I didn't think my Genjutsu was that bad that I would be caught so fast."

A slight shrug. "That's more of a coincidence. I didn't even know you were gone. I just happened to find you here." 

"Oh?" 

He didn't take the bait, just knelt in front of the cenotaph without looking at Ashura and the Uzumaki realised that anyone's business at a Memorial Stone was likely to be quite private. Still he wasn't ready to return to the stifling atmosphere of the hospital so he just sat down beside the boy and studied the monument.

It was quietly peaceful. As night fell and the stars illuminated the cerulean sky, Ashura felt himself fall into a half trance as he relaxed slightly in the presence of another without the pressure of interaction. 

"So why are you feeling guilty?" Kakashi said suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Guilty?" Ashura stiffened infinitesimally.

"You are at the memorial stone." The Hatake pointed out. "If you wanted to remember someone, you go to the grave. The cenotaph is a monument for the guilty."

Ashura narrowed his eyes. "I didn't exactly plan to be here. Just took a couple of unfamiliar turns and ended up here."

The other boy just looked thoughtful as he turned his attention back to the Memorial Stone. 

"Why are you guilty then?" Ashura returned almost spitefully. If the Hatake didn't seem to mind asking personal questions, he certainly wouldn't mind answering them. "If you are in front of the Memorial Stone and not the cemetery?"

Kakashi didn't reply but he raised his hand and traced over a smooth part of the monument. It was oddly placed, between two other names and slightly raised off the surface. "That's where Obito's name was." He whispered softly. "It was removed last month."

Ashura didn't know what to say. He knew that Obito had been declared KIA but it hadn't been a pressing concern once he returned to the village. Now that he thought about it, the Uchiha must have had to prove his identity though considering his first few months in Konoha, he thought his ignorance was excusable. 

What he hadn't known was just how much Kakashi and Run must have suffered while they had assumed Obito was gone. As a team, they were to watch each other's backs and a death was a failure on their part. More importantly, since Obito had sacrificed himself for them, they had every reason to place the blame solely on their shoulders, no matter how ludicrous the thought was. In his experience, even if Obito himself told Kakashi that he was not to blame, it wouldn't change how he felt. Until Kakashi was convinced otherwise, he wouldn't be able to stop blaming himself. 

"Before Obito was found, we thought he was dead. Rin used to talk to his grave. I talked to the Memorial Stone." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, fingers still tracing over the smooth rock in amazement.

"I didn't kill Danzo." Ashura blurted out suddenly, before turning a mortifying shade of pink at his outburst.

Kakashi turned to him in confusion. "I know? I heard about it. Some kid with the Mokuton used the Shodaime's signature technique to kill him and everyone thinks it's very poetic and all."

Ashura looked away with a grimace. "Everyone knows, huh?"

"Well, you know shinobi. Gossip is our currency. Besides Genma was one of the first responders so he told us most of what happened." Kakashi said with a nonchalant shrug.

"So... he told you about... Uzu?"

Kakashi's expression softened. "Yeah." He looked embarrassed but Ashura couldn't blame him for knowing what he shouted out for the world to hear.

"I would have killed him. I _wanted_ to kill him but," Ashura couldn't meet Kakashi's eyes. "But when I had the kunai to his throat, I couldn't do it. After all he did, my first instinct was... selfish."

"I know your nindo, Ashura." Kakashi said with a small smile that turned into a frown when the Uzumaki flinched. "Everyone who has ever read a Bingo Book knows it. I'm sure your family wouldn't want you to break your nindo for them. Especially when it couldn't help them anymore, despite his unforgivable actions."

If anything, Ashura felt worse when Kakashi tried to console him. He didn't deserve that kind of coddling. Not when he deserved the regret. The guilt. Maybe it was fate that had led him to the Memorial Stone if it called to the guilty. 

"That's the point." He said, voice tiny and nearly inaudible. He stared blankly at the names in front of him and wondered if Danzo's might have been carved there if ROOT hadn't been exposed. The thought made his skin crawl. "I didn't spare him because it was the right thing to do. I spared him because... I wanted to hate him. I wanted to be able to hate him without regretting his death like I would have if I had broken my nindo for it." The tears gathered in his eyes slipped down his cheeks, cold in the frigid night air. "I spared him because I was a selfish hypocrite and I wanted to be able to hate him!"

Kakashi was silent for a very long minute but Ashura refused to turn to him and see the disgust in his eyes. Finally when Ashura was just beginning to fidget slightly, there was a near inaudible sigh and an arm placed around his shoulders. 

"For the record, Shisui would be much better at this than me." Kakashi said and then he was being dragged into a warm, if slightly awkward hug and he was crying silently into the older boy's shoulder while he tried in vain to pat his back in a vaguely comforting manner.

They sat like that, kneeling in front of the Memorial Stone until Ashura's tears had dried and he had enough presence of mind to feel the frissons of embarrasment crawl up his spine at the thought of crying on Kakashi's shoulder. 

"I'm sor-" He began but was almost immediately cut off by Kakashi's dry, "If you say sorry after I tried to show empathy like Minato sensei always says, then I will be very disappointed."

Ashura swallowed the apology.

"You had a traumatic experience and needed comfort and if ROOT is as bad as Genma claims it is then you _really_ needed comfort. So," he paused, reddening slightly, "just shut up and accept it." 

Ashura managed a watery chuckle before sobering slightly at the mention of the underground organisation. "It was... bad. And some of the other children, they had been raised entirely within ROOT. They were taught to be tools for Danzo to use, to be willing to sacrifice themselves to save them. And on top of that, he had that disgusting seal on them so they couldn't even break away. It was... degrading and disgusting." He shivered and Kakashi's hands tightened slightly before releasing him.

He looked away as he spoke but Ashura could not doubt his sincerity when he said, "Then I'm... I'm glad you got out of there." The visible part of his head was bright red, visible even in the dusk and Ashura felt his chest warm at the sentiment. "Shisui as well. The two of you single-handedly managed to overturn one of the deepest corruptions the village has ever seen and with minimal casualties. Whatever you think, it's admirable."

Now it was Ashura's turn to blush a brilliant crimson at the genuine compliment despite the brief souring of his mood when Shisui was mentioned. He ducked his head bashfully feeling his melancholy not disperse but lighten somewhat. It made him realise that while he may feel guilty, he couldn't bring himself to regret the mission, not when he had managed to help Kinoe and all the ROOT operatives escape without major injuries despite the steep odds. 

The thought was almost enough to raise his spirits but before he could consider his earlier argument, Kakashi turned back to him with an apologetic smile. "You need to go back to the hospital now, you know? Despite what I said, you were injured badly enough that Hokage sama was considering calling back Tsunade sama and if Kushina nee san finds out I knew where you were and didn't send you back, she'll have my head."

The Uzumaki sighed heavily but he knew it was fair. He had far exceeded the time limit he had set himself anyway and it wasn't like he had a place to stay or anything to do outside. Still he made a point of huffing annoyedly and walking as slowly as Kakashi allowed him too, pretending he didn't see how the older boy's mask moved whenever he concealed a fond smile. Deep within, Ashura ignored the part of him that thought it felt exactly like he imagined an older brother to be, because he knew what happened to his family and refused to see them replaced. Still, he found himself gravitating to the Hatake's side as they walked.

Kakashi dropped him off at the window to his room where they found that his Genjutsu was still untouched which meant his disappearance had gone unnoticed. As he was leaving however, he paused and turned back to the Uzumaki.

"Ashura?" He said gently. "I don't know if you remember, but you told Itachi that intentions are never enough and actions must follow, irrespective of the circumstances." His visible eye curled into a slight upturn. "Maybe you should cut yourself some slack and take credit for your actions. You didn't kill him in the end, no matter your intentions. Your nindo remains unbroken."

With that, he disappeared into the night leaving Ashura with a warm feeling creeping through his chest.

______________________________________________________

Ashura's first task after being discharged was to check up on the temporary Fuuinjutsu library he had created. There was no pressing matter, his seals were hardy and wouldn't fall for anything less than his own demise but it comforted him slightly to sit within the tiny piece of home that he had managed to create in a foreign land.

It was as he was tidying up the place that he found it. The Complete Binding Seal notes belonging to Yoichi and Orochimaru's own sealing notes and he was reminded of the promise he made to the jounin while within ROOT territory. True to his word, while he had studied and disturbed Sealmaster Yoichi's notes, Orochimaru's were untouched.

The scroll was beautiful, the deep blue edges almost as purple as Orochimaru's clan markings and the binding thread a pale golden. It wasn't nearly as large as most of the scrolls in the room but it was fairly sizeable for an apprentice. No doubt he would have been well past his mastery if Yoichi had survived long enough to grade him.

Reinforcing the privacy seals on the walls of the library he left for the Snake summoner's home, one he was awed and delighted to see had been reinforced with stone and several privacy seals he recognised. He flared his chakra but didn't move any closer this time, recognising the seals that would prevent his doing so. 

It was a long while before Orochimaru opened his door and eyed him with no small amount of surprise. "Uzumaki. I was under the impression that you were still injured."

Ashura swallowed. "I was discharged this morning, Orochimaru sama." He opened his bag slightly to reveal the edge of the scroll. "May I trespass on your hospitality for a while?"

He stepped into the house when the door was widened, intentionally ignoring the widened and slightly glassy eyes until his host was seated in front of him. 

"You have come to return it." He stated.

"Yes Orochimaru sama."

"And what do you want in return?" Orochimaru asked steepling his fingers under his chin.

Ashura tilted his head. "Nothing? I wouldn't have taken it in the first place but the seal on your temple wouldn't have allowed me to return it."

The slightest hint of disbelief was the only sign Ashura managed to catch before, Orochimaru's expression smoothed over into indifference as he collected the scroll. The callous handling was very much in contrast to the slightly trembling fingers and the unbreakable grip he had on it. "My master's work is with you, I presume?"

"In the temporary Fuuinjutsu library I have created under the best barrier seals I know." Ashura promised. 

"Adequate. And if I require to consult with it?"

"You can inform me, but I will not allow unsupervised access." The Uzumaki said firmly. "Too many people have shown interest into my family's legacy."

The Snake Sannin's smile was just as unsettling before, maybe even more so when he was showing genuine delight. "Very good. Ruthlessness will be beneficial."

For the first time, Ashura's composure faltered as he stuttered in the face of the unnatural grin. "Th-thank you."

Orochimaru changed the subject abruptly. "How is your recovery proceeding? Sensei informed me that you were gravely injured in the last battle against Danzo." His lip curled into a snarl and a hint of Killing Intent leaked out. "I regret my inability to assist in that though I suppose Kinoe carrying out the deed was fitting enough."

Ashura almost laughed at the roundabout way of expressing concern. "I was 'lucky'," he said, sarcasm thick around the word, "that despite the injuries being dangerous, they weren't debilitating. I have recovered full mobility though I'll need to train a bit more."

"Chakra fire, wasn't it?" He said, golden eyes flashing with curiousity as he raked his gaze across Ashura's torso. "There must have been extensive scarring."

"What are you getting at, Orochimaru sama?" Ashura said flatly, trying not to think about the ropy burn scars that ran across his entire chest and upper arms. He knew better than to be hung up over scars in a profession that kills but he couldn't help the disgust he felt at the ugly mars

"I have a colleague who could be persuaded to help in the healing of the scars." He offered with a surprisingly fond look in his eyes. "If you assist in finding her, of course."

"I'm not cleared for missions yet." Ashura replied with a grimace at the thought of the medic's reaction to his attempt to train.

"It's not a mission technically," the Snake Sannin said, staring eerily at Ashura. "Just a favour for Sensei."

"And you want _me_ to come?" Ashura asked, bewildered. "Why on earth?" 

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I told you, you can get your scars healed. I'm sure Tsunade would be more than happy to do something of use after dawdling for so long."

"That's my incentive, Orochimaru sama, and I very much doubt that you are altruistic enough to request my presence purely out of the goodness of your heart. Besides, Tsuna nee san is your teammate, I doubt either of you will appreciate your reunion being interrupted by me." Ashura said, relaxing slightly at the name. He had heard of Tsunade, who hadn't? But more than that, he had known her personally when she came to visit her aunts in Uzushio. In fact, she had been one of the first people to teach him iryo-ninjutsu and after all the use he had got out of the technique, he owed her his gratitude at the very least.

Orochimaru didn't say anything for several minutes and Ashura squirmed slightly in his seat but when he did speak it was fairly obvious that he had just been collecting his thoughts instead of intentionally prolonging the silence. "Tsunade left because she lost her family to the war. Her lover, her brother, her clan. She blamed herself for it." His voice turned somber. "You are one of the few people who have actually lost more than she has and somehow you are still... living. She needs to see that and you can show it to her. And by the honorific you addressed her with, you might be the only person who can give her a reason to come back."

Ashura pinked slightly. "She insisted on the honorific. Made it a condition of teaching me so I had no choice."

"Either way." Orochimaru said drily. "So. Your answer?"

"Do you know that even Tsuna nee san can't heal scars after so long? There was no need to raise my spirits when I had already braced for disappointment." Ashura said instead, embarrasment smouldering somewhere below the bitterness. "If you wanted to request my presence on the mission you could have just asked instead of offering incentives."

"I apologise." He said, bowing his head slightly but Ashura could see there wasn't the slightest hint of remorse. "However you wouldn't have agreed without any incentive. It's just how humans are. It just so happens that you were on closer terms than I knew so her mere presence is reward enough. If I had been aware, I would have led with that."

Ashura inclined his head silently, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that the Snake Sannin was requesting him for a mission. 

"That's the difference between you and her, Ashura kun. She chose to decathect, withdraw from any and all forms of affection so as to never feel its loss. You chose to cicatrize, numb the pain but leave the scar behind to remember. I... believe it is a lesson she could stand to learn."

He stood up fluidly, long hair swaying delicately with the movement. "If it is settled, Ashura kun, I will inform sensei of your decision and he will send you the official summons."

"It is." Ashura replied dazedly. 

"I should warn you however, that Jiraiya will likely join us halfway."

Ashura was beginning to feel a little faint at the thought of going on a mission with at least two and potentially three of the Densetsu no Sannin. The three most legendary shinobi and a tiny, malnourished, recently injured eleven year old. It was enough to set his mind spinning. He managed to choke out a vague affirmative, hoping that he had managed to conceal his bemusement. Still, even if he hadn't, it would just be the icing on the top of the unbelievable discussion he had just had with Orochimaru. He wasn't even entirely sure that the meeting had been intentionally as jarring or just a side effect of the occasionally socially stunted genius. 

Nevertheless, he left the Snake Sannin's house in a daze, almost knocking over a chunnin with a senbon in his mouth. He barely managed to stammer out an apology at the wide eyed boy before he was off, trying to find the familiar chakra signature of his best friend. If there was anyone he needed to inform of this development, it was Shisui.

Even if he hadn't seen the Uchiha since his hospitalization, he was fairly certain that their separation had just been a series of coincidences. He intentionally tamped down on the part of him that still shivered at the thought of having to face the boy's Mangekyou. There was no reason for Shisui to ignore him, it was most likely his own stupid instincts that were making things awkward. 

He dithered slightly at the entrance to the Uchiha Clan compound, remembering all too clearly his last meeting there. But he could sense both Kagami sensei and Shisui within so he would just have to handle his panic the way he had during his stint in ROOT. 

Thankfully he was waved in by the guards and directed to a house on the outermost perimeter of the compound. Idly he wondered if the house was on the outskirts because the two were strong enough to be the first line of defence. The nervousness was not as bad as the first time he had entered the compound. If anything, at least ROOT had helped him in establishing a reasonable distance from his trauma. While he still was and in his opinion, always would be, terrified of the Sharingan, the establishment of a more concrete threat in Danzo had allowed him to see the differences from Madara instead of the similarities, when he saw the Uchihas.

"Ashura?" Kagami said, sounding genuinely surprised when he caught sight of the Uzumaki. Ashura startled at the call, realising abruptly that he had just walked into their backyard without so much as a warning. "What are you doing here?"

"Um..." Ashura bit his lip. "I wanted to talk to Shisui?" He mentally cursed himself for his hesitation especially when Kagami looked conflicted.

"He's not here, Ashura. He'll probably be back later."

Ashura's heart dropped down into his sandals and he opened and closed his mouth soundlessly. He had tried so hard to convince himself that it had been a coincidence or a misunderstanding but when he heard Kagami sensei lie to his face, he knew better than to hope. He could read between the lines.

"I'll see him another time then." He bowed mechanically and turned around to walk back but at the last second he stopped himself.

"Just... one thing, Kagami sensei." He didn't look at him when he spoke. "Is Shisui kun ignoring me or is it you who has decided that I should be kept from him?" 

Kagami looked pained. "Ashura..."

"I didn't want to see you." 

Ashura turned around completely at the familiar voice. The curly haired Uchiha was standing on the doorstep with his arms crossed. Ashura took in the tense form of his friend, gaze lingering on the bandages wound around his bicep. He didn't look him in the eye. 

"Why?" It came out slightly strangled and a tiny bit hysterical.

"Because I think it's better if we aren't friends anymore." Shisui said, voice trembling imperceptibly.

Ashura gapes at him. "What." He said very, very softly. "And what about our partnership?" 

"It's clearly not going to work out very well if the last mission was any indication." Shisui said quietly. Something about the way he spoke so evenly made Ashura realise that he must have thought of this for a long while, maybe even found several reasons and the thought made his blood boil. 

"Is that what you've been doing while I was in the hospital?" He almost spat out. He hated that he was feeling hurt more than angry. "Making a list of reasons why you don't want to be friends anymore?"

For the first time, Shisui looked slightly thrown, dark eyes widening in shock. "What- No! I wasn't-"

"You obviously had _something_ better to be doing." Ashura managed to get out through the lump in his throat. His chest was burning with the effort it took not to cry. 

"No! Damnit, look at you, Ashura!" It was bad enough that the first thing he picked up on was the absence of the nickname. "You are covered in scars and you can barely look at me! You were injured and you nearly died! I... I can't do that again."

"Shisui!" Kagami sensei snapped but it was too late and the words had been said.

Ashura inhaled sharply at the words, the lines of the new burn scars suddenly very obvious against the soft cloth. The first tear trickled softly down his cheek at fell on the ground with a plop that was suddenly incredibly loud in the quiet. 

"Ashura-" Kagami sensei began but the Uzumaki interrupted him sharply. His voice was brittle but as cold as he could make it.

"I'm sorry that I'm too weak for the great Shunshin no Shisui. That I'm... _damaged_ and traumatised and not strong enough to stand beside you." He said, ignoring the tremor that coursed through him.

"Ashura that's-" Shisui wasn't allowed to finish. 

"I agree with you, Shisui _kun_ ," he put as much derision into the honorific as he could manage and watched Shisui flinch. "I don't think we should be friends anymore."

"I didn't-"

Ashura turned to Kagami. "At least I can understand why you are taking his side. Blood is thicker than water and all that." 

He turned and walked out of the boundary wall and out of the compund, each step measured and light. He didn't know if he wanted one of them to run after him or just leave him alone but as he walked away from the Uchiha compound, he felt just as lonely as he had all those months ago when he had awoken inside the ruins of Uzushio.


	19. Commissions as Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and Salutations,  
> This chapter's been a long while coming, mainly because any inspiration disappeared along with Ashura and Shisui's friendship (sorry about that btw) but also because I didn't have a particular direction in which to take this fic.
> 
> I've kinda got a rough outline now so maybe the rest will be faster. I hope you like the chapter though and give me your comments cuz I absolutely love reading them. Don't forget to 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Teaspoon

> I sent a letter to the man I was,  
> To see if he would know,  
> That the man I am is born from him,  
> And built to overthrow.
> 
> His reply was fear and fear alone,  
> For what else could he do,  
> He'd heard that tomorrow was better than now  
> And knew that I'd prove it true.

"Uzumaki, you cannot be so inane as to make a fire out of damp wood! Are you trying to invite every rogue nin in the surrounding area to dinner?"

Ashura startled at the admonishment, blushing lightly when he realised that he had in fact collected a pile of wet branches that would give off enough smoke to serve as a beacon to whoever cared to look. He hurriedly discarded the pile of twigs, muttering embarrasedly, "I apologise, Orochimaru sama. I'll collect some more."

The Sannin looked at him, the ordinarily blank veneer showing exasperation and confusion in equal measure. "Just sit down, Uzumaki. It isn't cool enough to warrant a fire anyway."

Ashura didn't argue, merely lowering himself silently and removing his rations from his pack. They were four days out of Konoha when Orochimaru had received a message from a toad summons that directed them to make for Tanzaku Gai, a civilian town on the border of Wind and Fire Country, instead. While their rations weren't likely to fall short, given that after Ashura's stint with Madara, he had taken to carrying plenty of extras, Orochimaru had ordered him to be on guard while they travelled as the new path was far more populated than their previous one through the forests.

Orochimaru knew he wasn't a great conversationalist and their journey had been traversed in mostly silence, with Ashura barely replying to Orochimaru's approximations of his skills. He had completed, or given the state of the firewood, attempted to complete every task without question or protest in a move more reminiscent of the Hatake's earlier behaviour than the relatively light hearted redhead.

Now, Orochimaru wasn't the best at picking up social cues, rather he would rank it among his worst skills but even he could see that something had affected Ashura badly enough to distract him from basic tasks. If it had been Tsunade or even Jiraiya, no doubt they would have taken the child to the side and asked about it, but beyond making sure it wouldn't affect him in battle, Orochimaru didn't see the necessity. Trauma was an expected part of their lifestyle and shinobi needed to get used to it. There was a reason they were known for their eccentricities after all, it drove the demons away.

"Suna has surrendered", he said instead, recalling the message Jiraiya had sent. Perhaps distraction would be cure enough.

"That's beneficial. Konoha won't have to worry about a Shunshin invasion at home." Ashura replied, using the slang term for an attack without a warning and Orochimaru was abruptly reminded of the attack on Uzushio.

"Suna wouldn't risk that either way. Their force is smaller then ours and the terrain is completely on our side." Orochimaru looked pensive. "No, the issue is Kumo."

"Not Iwa?" The Uzumaki asked. "I would have thought their hatred of Konoha would be a troublesome situation."

"They were badly hit by Uzushio." He replied and Ashura flinched. "Despite the outcome, Uzushio took out a large part of both Iwa and Kiri's forces. There are rumours of internal disputes over the decision in Kiri and Onoki is only keeping power in Iwa because there is, quite literally no one else to challenge him. The kekkei genkai users have been particularly badly hit and none of the jinchuuriki have been seen from either of the villages."

"That's not Uzu then." Ashura said flatly. "There were no Bijuu at the Invasion. If they are missing, it's an internal problem."

"That may be so but it was likely still a factor. Whether they have been killed or deserted, the Invasion was the biggest decision made in the war and one of the turning points."

Ashura gritted his teeth. “We were neutral. The only way we would have joined the fight was if Konoha had been desperate. The other villages knew that as well. Danzo was the one who turned their gazes towards our seals by ‘losing’ documents that suggested we were stronger than they expected.”

“I had heard something to that effect, yes. But despite the lack of obvious changes on the front, it changed a lot. Iwa and Kiri have been decimated by the loss of soldiers. That along with the fall of Kannabi Bridge which was Iwa’s primary supply post has ensured that they are all but out of the war. Onoki may be stubborn and hate Konoha but he won’t let the village fall. Rumour has it that Kiri attempted some kind of attack spearheaded by the Sanbi but it backfired when the beast got free and disappeared underground. Konoha lost an ally and a trump card as well as a fairly important trade partner in the Invasion. Most of the small villages in the Land of Water were economically affected, being dependent on Uzushio for business. Since they were part of the Land of Water, Kiri was also directly affected by their losses. The fact of the matter is that despite its reclusive nature, Uzushio was important and the decision to attack it was a foolish one.”

Ashura forced himself to ignore the immediate annoyance at discussing the tragedy in terms of generalizations and considered what the Sannin said carefully. It may not have been the most kindest of ways of discussing it especially with the only survivor of the Invasion but Orochimaru was nothing if not intelligent. “So you are saying that Kumo is the most dangerous because they have been essentially using the time to regroup and prepare while the rest have been negatively impacted.” 

“That and they have always coveted kekkei genkai, especially Doujutsu.” Orochimaru said with a glint in his eye. “Kiri will be the worst affected by it but if Konoha loses any more forces, we won’t be able to protect our Doujutsu users as well either and they will be put at risk.”

“What about Suna?” Ashura posited, frowning thoughtfully. “Instead of a ceasefire, consider an alliance. Suna’s summer is just beginning and they lose several soldiers in travel itself while Konoha has more medics. If the alliance could be secured, the squads could travel together with a medic. They are already signing the ceasefire at a disadvantage, if Konoha offers protection in exchange for manpower they have no reason to turn it down.”

“Do you really think that Suna and Konoha nin will throw away their animosity so easily?” Orochimaru countered. “They were at each other’s throats less than two weeks ago.”

“Oh.” Ashura hadn’t considered that. He remembered his fury when he had seen Mist Shinobi moments after escaping Madara and grimaced. “That won’t work then.”

“Granted, it's a sound strategy.” Orochimaru allowed and Ashura felt himself flush. "Rasa is too proud however, to bare his neck to us. Still, there are other services we can provide." His voice trailed off as he seemed stuck in thought.

"Arashi was grooming you to be Uzukage, then?" He asked suddenly.

Ashura squirmed uncomfortably. "Not specifically Uzukage. As his son, I was already expected to be familiar with politics and when he took me as his Fuuinjutsu apprentice as well, most people assumed that he was preparing a successor." His gaze turned wistful. "He... he said I could choose when I was old enough. I never wanted to become Kage. I was too afraid of looking at the big picture, of sacrificing few to save many. People saw that as humanity but as a Kage, it would mean death for my people. I wanted to become a diplomat actually." He perked up slightly. "I wanted to travel across the Elemental Nations."

"I see." The Sannin said. "And in Konoha?"

Ashura glanced at him quizzically. "What about Konoha?" 

"Does your decision hold true in Konoha as well?"

"I dont think so." He said softly. "It's like you said, about Suna and Konoha fighters. I might be able to tolerate the soldiers who had no choice but to follow orders." He shuddered violently. "But the thought of playing nice with the... shinobi," the hesitation that was placed on the word did not go unnoticed, "who ordered the attack on Uzushio is beyond me. As a diplomat, a lot of my roles would require associating with the Kages and their advisors and the thought of interacting with the Tsuchikage or Mizukage and their prodigies is... nauseating."

"Oh?" Orochimaru arched an eyebrow. "But you did restrain yourself against Danzo and from what I hear that was under even worse conditions."

Ashura's face _flamed_ , turning red so fast Orochimaru was momentarily alarmed. "I didn't." He said curtly. "I all but broke my nindo that night. That's unlikely to happen again, though. I wasn't thinking straight and had suddenly realised his role in it."

"Your nindo is rather troublesome. Pacifism, isn't it?"

"Not really." Ashura replied in annoyance. "I've killed plenty. I understand the necessity of assassinations and symbolic killing but I can strive to change it, to live in a world where it is not needed. Death is common and unlikely to disappear from this profession but it doesn't have to be sadistic." 

"You are naive." Orochimaru said with a frown and Ashura only scowled harder. 

"If you say so." He replied stiffly.

Orochimaru ignored the petulant expression, and arched an eyebrow gracefully. "There will come a time when you will have no choice but to break it. Your so-called change won't come without sacrifice."

"I'm not going to change my thoughts and they are the ones that direct my actions. If death is the first thing I think off when I raise my sword then I will have broken my nindo. If torture is what I consider when I don’t receive answers then I will have broken my nindo. If revenge is what I consider when I am forced to kill then I will have broken my nindo.”

With that, the boy rose and walked towards his possessions, declaring the conversation complete leaving Orochimaru seated thoughtfully. 

Oh, he disagreed with plenty of the points put forward but he knew of the Uzumaki penchant for stubbornness and Uzumaki Ashura seemed to have inherited that in plenty. But even more than mulish, he found it fascinating that the boy was incorruptible. Even in the face of a losing argument, he stood by his principles and Orochimaru found it... interesting. 

He brought up plenty of interesting points as well, not the least of which was his suggestion to ally with Suna. It had always been a possibility but Orochimaru knew that other than trade routes in the future and mutual manpower, Konoha didn't have much to offer. Ashura brought up the possibility of knowledge being a tradable item, in the form of iryo-ninjutsu but the Sannin had another possibility in mind. 

Hissing softly, he coaxed a pale white snake out of his sleeves before penning a quick note and handing it to her. 

_"Sensei,_

_Consider offering Suna an alliance with the possibility of teaching iryo-ninjutsu and common seals. Commissions can be made only through Konoha."_

______________________________________________________

"Jiraiya." Orochimaru said, tone so dry, it rivalled the Suna weather. "How fortuitous to bump into you, in a bathhouse of all places."

"A _woman's_ bathhouse." Ashura added with a grimace. 

"Orochi-teme!" The white haired man said, not a trace of shame on his face. "I was doing research of course."

"Ah yes", Orochimaru said with a long-suffering sigh. "Sensei sends his compliments in regards to your new... hobby."

Ashura eyed the two men in bewilderment. They may have been legendary ninja but in his opinion, they acted more childish than Kakashi and Obito. When he had heard of some of the eccentricities shinobi tended to possess, he had assumed that they had been exaggerated but so far he had seen no evidence of that.

"You're Arashi's son, aren't you." Jiraiya said suddenly and Ashura winced at the introduction. 

"Yes Jiraiya sama. My name is Uzumaki Ashura." He bowed. 

"That your student, Orochi?" He asked boisterously. 

Orochimaru rolled his eyes. "Like you don't know who he is. You're a spy master for pity's sake."

"Eh, there's a difference between knowing who someone is and knowing what they are doing on a supposed secret mission." He side eyed Orochimaru blatantly and Ashura had to stifle a laugh. He wondered if there was some sort of rule during the making of genin teams that said every team had to have two members who bickered regularly.

"Very funny Jiraiya." Orochimaru groused, much to the Uzumaki's delight. "He's here to convince Tsunade to come back."

"Right." Jiraiya said doubtfully. 

Orochimaru ignored the skepticism. "You mentioned that she was seen in Tanzaku Gai?"

"Yeah. One of my contacts had 'relations' with one of her debtors and said that she was probably heading there next." Ashura blushed deeply at the suggestive way the man waggled his eyebrows and the emphasis he placed on 'relations'.

"Keep talking like that, we'll see how many trees Tsunade punches you through." The Snake Sannin said, the slightest hint of fondness curling his serpentine features. 

Jiraiya huffed a long sigh. "If only." 

It seemed by mutual agreement the topic was dropped despite Ashura finding their dynamic incredibly fascinating. Orochimaru was less cruel, his sarcasm sounding more teasing and less sadistic. Jiraiya was playful and perverted but in Ashura's eyes it was more of an inside joke between the two men, one that had she been present, Tsunade would have likely joined.

Ashura had never known any of Tsunade's acquaintances. Despite the affectionate honorific, and Ashura suspected that she only demanded it because she had poor memories of all others, she had only been in Uzu for a couple of months. She stayed just long enough to teach him the basics of the Mythical Palm Technique and then one day just up and left. As a shinobi, Ashura was comfortable with the lack of farewell and hadn't begrudged the sudden departure, assuming it to be for a mission. Soon after, the invasion and Madara had been the most important on his thoughts and he hadn't spent time thinking on her absence. 

He didn't know what to make of the fact that she had apparently abandoned her village, only escaping the title of missing nin because of her relation to the Hokage. Loyalty was the backbone of shinobi society and to see someone he respected and loved, flouting it so crassly disappointed him.

He wondered why his father had granted her asylum in the first place. Surely he must have known that she was running from Konoha? He couldn't imagine his father ever condoning her actions, no matter the circumstances. 

They reached Tanzaku Gai by daybreak, settling into the quaint room Jiraiya had paid for. Ashura very pointedly ignored the fact that the woman's bathhouse was directly on the other side of the wall. Orochimaru's suggestion to confront her immediately was vetoed by both Jiraiya and Ashura, in favor of waiting till the bars opened in the evening. 

Sleep was hard to come despite travelling through the night but Ashura felt too exposed to attempt exploring without the cover of darkness. Even if it was a civilian town, Uzumaki was a famous clan and his hair and seals were a dead giveaway. By now, news of his survival had spread like wildfire and last he checked, even Iwa had placed a bounty on his head. The change in hitai-ate had been the first thing to catch the enemy's eye and though he had accepted it's necessity, he still found himself grasping the worn and torn, but more importantly, familiar spiral protector to ground himself.

He noticed Jiraiya slipping out at lunchtime, a grin on his tattoed face and assumed that the man had gone to the bath house but when he returned with genuine information, he revised his opinion.

"Rumour has it that a blonde woman with a diamond on her forehead was seen in the bar last night. She hasn't left yet."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Ashura asked. "Travelling without a disguise. Especially if she has Shizune chan with her still?"

"She's not a missing nin." Jiraiya shrugged. "She can handle any creeps and without a bounty, anyone strong enough to pose a challenge doesn't have a reason to."

"Shizune is fairly skilled as well." Orochimaru said, gathering up the few belongings he had with him. "Her toxicology knowledge is beyond reproach."

Jiraiya snorted. "Of course you'd say that. You taught her!"

An elegant shrug of the shoulders was his only reply. The man tied his bag to his waist, and surprisingly pulled out a hitai-ate to tie back his hair. 

"You're showing your loyalty?" 

"It's Konoha business. As much as Tsunade hates it, she doesn't really have a choice. If she doesn't come with us, Sensei has to declare her a missing nin. After the consequences of allowing Danzo so much leeway, his favouritism will not be tolerated."

Jiraiya's face was grim but he nodded tersely.

The bar was unsurprisingly full. No one stopped Ashura, the hitai-ate deterrent enough though he caught several wide-eyed stares at his hair and he resisted the urge to squirm. 

"Orochimaru. Jiraiya." The familiar voice intoned, slightly slurred from the alcohol and Ashura turned to see the buxom blond scowl into her cup. "What do you want?"

Jiraiya broke into a beaming smile. "Tsunade hime! What a coincidence!"

Orochimaru slapped the back of his head. "Don't be an idiot. She's not going to fall for that."

"You really haven't changed, have you?" The medic said, finishing the rest of her cup. "Tell sensei I don't care what happened, I'm not coming back." 

"Have you heard about Danzo?"

"The old warhawk? What did he do now?"

"He's responsible for the ambush Dan died in." Orochimaru said bluntly and Ashura sucked in a breath. He didn't remember seeing that so it must have been something Shisui had caught but it certainly made sense with Danzo's crusade against any and all Hokage candidates.

"Don't care. He's dead now. Everyone is dead. Leave me alone." Despite the brusque tone, there was an almighty creak and the counter suddenly bore a crack down the centre where Tsunade had been resting her head. She lifted her head carelessly from the ruined counter, but Ashura caught the faint sheen of tears in her eyes. Still she blinked them away and hailed the horrified bartender who was staring at his ruined table in shock. "Another drink."

"Can we discuss this outside?" Jiraiya said, giving the counter a nervous glance and Tsunade scoffed. She grabbed the bottle handed to her and took an almighty swig straight, ignoring the glass. "Sure. Go wherever you want. I'm staying right here." 

"Danzo's dead too." Orochimaru said and Jiraiya glared at him in disbelief. He looked a step away from grabbing the bottle out of Tsunade's hand.

"Excellent." The kunoichi replied. "Nothing left for me to do. Sensei can mourn his murderous friend and I can drink myself into an early grave."

"Don't you care who killed him?" Jiraiya asked desperately. "What about revenge? Justice? Loyalty?"

Tsunade just glared at him with a surprisingly sober expression. "And who dies this time!" She demanded harshly. "You, Jiraiya? Or Sensei? Maybe Orochimaru? Who do you want me to sacrifice because I can't die alone? I'm not doing that again!" 

"We are shinobi, Tsunade! At war." Orochimaru answered coldly. "We are at risk anyway. Your presence will increase our chances of survival, if nothing else. You are a medic, for Sage's sake, you heal people!"

"Hah!" She spat. "The medic who can't heal. Who can't look at blood without panicking. Who can't save the two people she had to save. Some medic, I am."

"You're the best medic Konoha has ever had." Jiraiya said furiously. "If you are weak, then what does it make the rest of the squads?"

"Hypocrites." She spat poisonously, finally abandoning the bottle and facing her teammates. "Do you know we are taught to euthanise before we are taught the Mythical Palm Technique? Medics save so many and kill even more because they won't be able to fight again and Konoha can't afford to pay crippled soldiers. Do you know how many surgeries I've completed only to have them mysteriously die of 'infections'? Like I'm that inept. Medics aren't saviors. They aren't healers or protectors or whatever delusion you fancy!"

There it was.

The real reason for her departure. Orochimaru had likened their circumstances but Ashura had not been able to understand why Tsunade had run away instead of joining something like the Red Corps and going out in a blaze of glory. No, it wasn't guilt or loss that made her run, it was betrayal. And hearing her reason, Ashura couldnt help but understand her anguish even if he didn't agree with her actions.

"It wasn't Nawaki or Dan all this time, was it?" Orochimaru said, lips pressed in a tight line.

"They were the last straw." Tsunade said tiredly. "I didn't know that Danzo had been the one to get Dan killed, but the circumstances were fishy. Dan's death was the easiest way to dispose the message he was carrying instead of risking his capture."

"And Sensei...?" Jiraiya asked, almost hesitantly.

"I told him about the dying patients and he said he would look into it. There was no change. I told him about Dan and the same thing happened."

Even Orochimaru looked slightly horrified. "Sensei wouldn't do that." He muttered. "We know what he's like. He loves Konoha for its people. He wouldn't sacrifice them for Konoha."

"I don't know." Tsunade said. " And quite frankly, I don't care. You can declare me a missing nin or whatever. I'm not going back." She took another long drink from the bottle of sake.

"I don't think Sarutobi sama was aware of these happenings." Ashura offered, flinching when all three Sannin turned to him.

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock before settling into something softer and fond. "Uzumaki." She said softly. "Ashura kun."

Ashura blushed deeply at her scrutiny. "Danzo stole injured shinobi from the hospital to form his army of ROOT soldiers. A lot of them were specifically cannon fodder." He cringed at the dehumanising term. "Killing injured shinobi or ensuring they 'were put to use' is very much his modus operandi." He swallowed the bitter taste of bile. "I don't know Sarutobi sama that well either but I don't think he was guilty of more than negligence and nepotism."

"Sensei couldn't have been completely clueless!" Jiraiya snapped.

"Couldn't he?" Orochimaru said dryly. "It's easy to turn a blind eye, to justify the actions of a person you care for." The muscle in his jaw jumped. "He forgave my actions without even confirming my innocence."

"You were _brainwashed_." The Toad Sage stressed. 

"And how many of my actions would I have carried out under ordinary circumstances and legitimate permission?" Orochimaru countered. "I never stopped human experimentation until Sensei told me to. It was never a matter of principles but loyalty, you know that."

Jiraiya looked away from the androgyne, the muscle in his jaw clenching but Orochimaru continued relentlessly. "As much as you hate to admit it, Sensei always saw Danzo as his teammate. It would have been easy to convince him that some of the actions were necessary for Konoha and even easier to hide the rest until that Uchiha brought it to his notice."

"So Sensei didn't know." Tsunade said sarcastically. "But he was too much of a coward to demand accountability from one of the most sadistic and unscrupulous individual in the village."

"From his friend." Orochimaru said softly. "Tsunade look at it from another point of view. He's going to retire soon anyway. Namikaze is all but sworn in. We need to show a united front." The medic sighed heavily, but it was in resignation and her teammates relaxed at the sound. "The other Elders were executed as well." Jiraiya added. "The village needs a Council."

The blonde rubbed a hand across her eyes tiredly. "If you dare to even attempt putting the hat on me, I'll burn it."

Jiraiya chuckled wetly, putting an arm around both his teammates. "Minato kun will be Hokage before any of us. Don't worry, Hime."

Tsunade sighed. "Thank Sage for small mercies then." A bleary chuckle. "I knew the day both of you would call me back, I'd have to come but I was really depending on your constant bickering to keep you away."

"That's what the Uzumaki is for." Orochimaru said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "A buffer to keep Jiraiya from being too stupid."

Tsunade's gaze fell on Ashura and a hint of regret coloured her expression but she smiled slightly at him. "I'm glad to see you alive, Ashura kun. Uzushio-" Her voice caught in her throat. "I'm so sorry for what happened to Uzu, but I am really glad that you survived."

"I would be dead twelve times over if not for your teachings, Tsuna nee san." Ashura said. "I cannot thank you enough for it."

"Good." She said firmly. "I'm glad." A teasing glint came into her eyes, "Does that mean you'll do all the exercises I give you from now on? Since you've clearly seen the merit?"

Ashura coughed nervously, as Jiraiya laughed uproariously and even Orochimaru hid a smirk. Tsunade's own smile was just this side of too wide to set off alarm bells in his head. "We'll have to see... ummm, about time and stuff...."

He backed away as Tsunade took a step forward and he couldn't help but admire how she was still completely steady even after more than an entire bottle of alcohol. "What- What about Shizune chan?" He said desperately. "Shouldn't we go and get her if we're going back to Konoha?"

That arrested Tsunade's attack for the moment at least as she threw a handful of money at the terrified bartender who didn't dare to demand payment for the counter and marched out of the disreputable establishment. "Come on Orochi, Raiya." She called over her shoulder as she dragged Ashura behind her. "Keep up or I'll get to Konoha on my own."

______________________________________________________

"Ashura has to head to Suna." 

Tsunade looked up from where she was identifying poisons with Shizune and Ashura. "Since when?" 

"Since the services of an Uzushio sealmaster was one of their demands for an alliance." Jiraiya said, frowning thoughtfully at the message he received. 

"So fast?" Ashura said curiously. "How were the terms ironed out so quickly?"

"From what I can glean, Suna accepted the offer of an alliance with open arms. Something time specific in my opinion and likely related to why they need you."

"Which seal do they need?" Ashura asked. "Or doesn't it specify?"

"Jinchuuriki Seal, apparently." Jiraiya frowned.

"Wasn't that part of the Shodaime's treaty? Every village has the Jinchuuriki Seal." Tsunade said.

"There was an incident during the Second War, remember? The Ichibi escaped and rampaged through Wind Country." Orochimaru said thoughtfully. "They claimed to have the situation under control but there hasn't been another Ichibi Jinchuuriki seen."

"So I'll most likely have to undo whatever they did to seal it away." Ashura mused thoughtfully. "When do I have to be there?"

"As soon as possible. You'll meet Minato kun's team at Sunagakure."

"Tonight then." The Uzumaki said, already beginning to catalogue his supplies mentally. "I should leave quickly if I intend to make it by sundown." 

He gathered the supplies he had strewn about as well as the extra Tsunade pressed on him and set out for Sunagakure. It was odd to be travelling alone after going on missions with teams for most of his life but he enjoyed the brief solitude.

His mind wandered as he ran, watching as the vegetation thinned closer to Wind country. It was historically, the poorest of the Great Nations but notoriously proud. Their Shinobi were known for their wind affinities though fire wasn't unique either. Kekkai genkai were usually associated with sand and metals, if he recalled, the previous Kage had an Iron Kekkai genkai. Seal masters were rare, probably why they requested one from Konoha but there were a few traditional Fuuinjutsu styles that they still practised.

He didn't break for very long, just enough to catch his breath, but still reached Suna only after sunset. There were no trails or evidence of campsites the Konoha delegation might have used so he was forced to stride up to the large sandstone doors and request entry.

"Konoha nin." The guard called down suspiciously. "State your business."

"Sealmaster Ashura, part of the Konoha delegation that passed earlier."

The guard grunted. "Uzumaki." He waved his hand and the stone shifted enough to reveal a minuscule doorway. "I'll lead you to the delegation."

Ashura nodded silently. The days may be sweltering but the nights were bitterly cold and the Uzumaki was shivering as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "What time did they arrive?"

"An hour before sunset. They mentioned one of theirs was on another mission and would arrive later. They are staying in the guesthouse."

"Thank you"

The markets were still open and despite the hour, full of shoppers. Ashura assumed that the nocturnal dealings was to avoid the harsh weather during the day. Unlike Konoha however, there seemed to be a good mix of civilian and shinobi intermingling through the stalls. 

"Are these the shinobi markets?" Ashura asked curiously.

The guard eyed him suspiciously but seemed to accept the question as innocent interest. "There are no separate divisions. Shinobi and civilian goods are usually sold from the same shops."

The man hesitated but took Ashura's question as an invitation to ask his own. "Has there truly been an alliance?"

"Do you really think we would send delegations into a hostile village?" Ashura replied dryly before backing up. Perhaps Orochimaru's sense of humour was rubbing off on him. "I don't know the particulars but your village requested my services as their terms for the alliance and I can't see Hokage sama allowing that unless there is a fairly strong guarantee of an alliance."

"Oh."

"Is there likely to be a lot of dissent from the people?" Ashura asked. "Civilian and shinobi."

The guard took a moment to consider. "There are many people who lost family to Konoha. They'll be the main dissenters. The civilians are more or less neutral, they'll probably appreciate the opened trade routes. The shinobi..." He exhaled. "Most of us are tired of the war. Suna was only dragged in because of Iwa and Konoha's enmity. We've lost far more than we could have gained and frankly speaking, Konoha is the best option for an alliance."

"I see. Thank you for the information."

The guest house turned out to be a large stone dwelling manned on all four sides by guards, one of which had a whispered conversation with his guide before directing him inside and knocking sharply. 

"You will not be allowed to travel without a guide. Inform one of the guards if you require anything." He warned.

"I understand." Ashura said. He bowed politely to the two. "Thank you for your assistance."

The door opened at that moment, and Minato stepped out, body tense but at the sight of the redhead, his expression cleared. "Ashura kun! Come in."

"You're later than we expected." He continued as he shut the door. 

"Tsuna nee san was surprisingly easy to convince and we were halfway back to Konoha when the message came so I had to retrace my steps." Ashura replied. "Who else is here?"

"Obito still hasn't got full control over his... new technique." Minato hesitated with mentioning what was likely a dangerous secret in enemy territory. "Thankfully Kinoe kun has been helping him but he hasn't been cleared to use it yet so he had to stay back in the village. Kakashi and Rin were quite upset to leave him behind."

Ashura nodded."Just Kakashi and Rin then?" 

"Well, Hokage sama decided to send the ordinary team of three so we got a replacement and representative of the founding clans.

Ashura's chest constricted and he felt suddenly nauseous. Teams were usually friendly with each other unless specific abilities were needed and he didn't know any other Uchiha that was willing to associate with Kakashi's team after the Sharingan transfer. 

"Let me guess." He said, mouth dry. "Shisui."


End file.
